Undercover Blue
by alphadork
Summary: Copward and Officer Bella go undercover to work a case together. Officer Bella is a bartender and Undercoverward is a bouncer at a strip club called the Drunk Tank. Will they be able to keep their relationship professional? AU-Human
1. Prologue

**I own nothing recognizable.**

**

* * *

**

How the hell had it come down to this?

My hands shook slightly as I aimed my weapon at the man on his knees in front of me. One of his eyes was bruised and swollen shut, but the other eye looked at me with such calm and trust. Could I really pull the trigger?

They say your life flashes before your eyes when your death is at hand. No one ever tells you about the life that flashes before your eyes when someone else's death is about to come at your hand. Memories assaulted me, blazing behind my eyes. I could see the way his eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in to kiss me for the first time. His lips had been so gentle and tender moving against mine. I could see the fire and passion in his eyes as he made love to me the first time, his body moving in time with mine. I could hear him moaning my name as he reached his completion. I could feel his strong hands running through my hair as we lay cuddled together afterwards.

I wondered what he was seeing. Was he remembering all the happy times we had shared? Or was he dreaming of all the happy times we would never have? Could he see our wedding; vowing to love and protect one another until death?

I had to swallow a sob as I thought about the children we would never have. He would have been a great father. He would have taught our children how to tie their shoes, how to ride a bike and how to treat others with respect. He would have taught our sons to open doors for women and he would have taught our daughters how to throw a proper punch. None of that would happen now.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded a voice from behind me. I knew our time had run out. There was no cavalry coming to save the day.

"I just wanted to make him suffer a little. Shooting him right away would have been too easy for him," I replied. I was amazed at how strong I managed to sound.

I wished that I could kiss him one last time, but I knew that would give me away. I wanted to crawl into his arms and have him tell me it would be okay, but I couldn't. He would never forgive me if his sacrifice didn't save me.

I couldn't look away from him as I readied myself to take the shot. I took a deep breath to steady myself and pulled the trigger. He collapsed with a groan when the bullet made contact with his flesh. Blood blossomed from the fresh wound on his chest. The gun fell from my fingers. I noticed blood flowing from a fresh cut on my hand. My body froze and I couldn't look away. My brain was telling me to move, but I was going into shock.

The sound of the gunshot and his groan of pain would ring in my ears for the rest of my life. I would forever be haunted by the sight of his blood quickly pooling under his limp body. I deserved every moment of torment; every nightmare that was to come my way. This was all my fault.

I could feel a strong arm wrap around me from behind. Warm breath on my neck told me that someone was talking to me but I couldn't register the words. My ears were still ringing from the sound of the gunshot. I knew it was a sound I would hear in my nightmares for years to come. All I could do was stare in horror at what I had done.

How the hell did it come down to this?

* * *

**This story won't be all angsty. There will be drama, intrigue and sexy times.**


	2. Chapter 1

**I still own nothing.**

**

* * *

**

Everyone in our hometown expected my older brother Emmett to follow in our father's footsteps and become a cop. He didn't let them down. Now he was up the ranks in the Seattle PD. Dad and I couldn't be prouder of him.

No one expected me to follow Emmett to the academy. I was an awkward, shy child. After the death of our mother, Emmett and I packed up and moved from Phoenix to Forks to live with Charlie. He was the chief of police in the small community. I used to dream of being a teacher, but seeing the good that Charlie did in our small town made me change my mind. I wanted to be just like him.

I remember the day I told my dad I'd been accepted into the academy. It was the day before I graduated from university with an honours degree in psychology. My dad was not too pleased at first, but he'd eventually come around. Charlie was nothing if not supportive.

The push was on for more female officers on the beat in Seattle. That combined with my excellent test results at the academy resulted in a quick rise for me. I'd only been with the force for two years when I was promoted to vice squad. More often than not my youthful, innocent appearance had me working undercover to bust johns and drug dealers. Sometimes I got to work with Emmett's team of Drug Enforcement officers.

At first I was very uncomfortable wearing the skimpy clothing required when I went undercover as a prostitute. I did not like being the centre of attention, and plenty of men took their time getting an eyeful when I was working. Knowing my partner Jasper had my back helped me feel safe. I eventually got used to the attention. It's funny how it took dressing up as a fake prostitute to help my self-esteem.

That's how I found myself hauling yet another john out of my squad car and into the station for booking. I left my latest bustee at central processing and made my way to Jasper's desk to help him with the paperwork. A co-worker whistled at me, but I just gave him the finger and kept walking. You have to be tough to make it in my line of work.

"Bella, you're breaking Newton's heart. Why don't you just go out for a drink with him and put him out of his misery?" Jasper smirked at me.

He was of course teasing me about the last time I'd been approached by a civilian off the clock for a date. I couldn't keep a straight face when the poor guy asked me out for a dinner and drinks. In my undercover world 'drinks' refers to oral sex and 'dinner' means full intercourse. I think I may have scared the poor man off by laughing hysterically at his innocent proposition.

"Jasper, I don't do drinks on the first date. I don't even do drinks on the third date. I have standards you know. Besides, Maria went out with him last month and she said he's a hair trigger in the bedroom. I'm just not interested."

Jasper just laughed and went back to typing up our report. I would have been annoyed with his teasing, but knowing he was a newlywed intent on seeing everyone around him happy softened me up a little. His new wife Alice was a perfect match for him. She was just the right amount of vibrant to pull Jasper out of his occasional sullen moods. Her brother was a police officer too, so she knew what to expect living with a cop.

An arm suddenly snaked around my neck from behind. I dropped into a crouch and used my weight to throw my attacker over my body. I yanked his arm behind his back and laughed.

"You'll have to do better than that to beat me brother dear," I said, releasing him from the uncomfortable hold I had on him.

Emmett stood up straight, towering over me as he rubbed his now sore shoulder. He grimaced as he took in my current wardrobe. Emmett was never happy to see me dressed for undercover work.

"Dad would never let you leave the house dressed like that Bells. I have half a mind to pack you up and send you back to Forks. The biggest danger there is getting a chill from all the rain."

"You and what army Em? Or did you not see me just kick your ass? I can do it again if you'd like," I replied sweetly, batting my eyelashes at my big brother.

"I know you can take care of yourself. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Which brings me to why I've graced you with my glorious presence today.

"I've got a guy undercover as a bouncer at the Drunk Tank. We suspect the owner is running a human trafficking ring in addition to his drug dealing activities. We need a woman to go undercover. Masen's partner would do it but she just found out she's pregnant. This is a high risk operation kiddo. Dad will probably kill me for offering this to you, but I think you're ready."

I was intrigued. The Drunk Tank was a notorious strip club down at the harbour front. The force had made a lot of arrests there for drunken brawls. It was not the kind of classy place college freshman go to for their first lap dance. This was a place frequented by bikers and the lowest common denominator.

"What would my cover be?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer. I trusted Emmett though. He would never put me into a situation I couldn't handle.

"You'd be a bartender. I don't know how long you'll be undercover. Officer Masen has been undercover for 4 months already. This assignment will be strictly for gaining intel. You get in, you get the info we need and then you get out. This is going to take a whole team of officers to bust up."

I looked to Jasper. I wouldn't take this assignment without the approval of my partner.

"What do you think Whitlock? You okay with me being biker bait without you?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Bella, you know I don't like it when you're in danger," Jasper started. "But I know you can handle yourself. This is exactly the kind of opportunity you've been looking for. I think you should go for it."

I turned to my big brother with a smile. "So when do I start my bartending classes?"


	3. Chapter 2

**I own nothing.**

**This chapter is dedicated to kR33-8-iV3**.

* * *

Chapter 2

I looked around my 'new digs' and sighed. I had moved into a one room apartment in a seedy neighbourhood to begin my new undercover assignment. The apartment was only two blocks away from the Drunk Tank and I was living across the hall from my new partner. We hadn't met yet, but I had a feeling we'd be meeting soon.

I grimaced as I took in the wardrobe provided for me by the department. Short skirts and tiny shirts taunted me from the dresser drawers. The only bright spot on my fashion horizon was a pair of kick ass bitch boots. I had an interview at the club in a couple of hours, so I decided to enjoy my last moments with my comfy clothes. I could foresee a lot of clear heels in my near future.

A knock on my door had me pulling my gun from the holster concealed by my light jacket. I peered out of the peephole and saw a gorgeous man on the other side of my door. I picked my jaw up off the floor and called out, "Who is it?"

I could see the man run his fingers through his hair. My fingers twitched on my weapon. I think they wanted to run through his hair too. He looked right into the peephole and replied.

"I'm your neighbour from across the hall. Do you happen to have a cup of sugar I could borrow?"

I snorted at the code we'd been given to identify one another and replied, "Only if you've got a cup of milk I could borrow." Who came up with this code anyway? I'm sure they'd be better suited to writing cheesy porn dialogue.

I holstered my gun and opened the door. Once the door was shut and locked the handsome stranger offered me a nod and an introduction.

"I'm Officer Masen. When we're here you can call me Edward. At the club they know me as Anthony Cullen. What do you know so far about the case?"

"My brother Emmett has been working this case for several months now. His department has enough evidence to put the club owners away for drug trafficking, but they suspect it isn't just drugs being trafficked. They're worried if they move in too soon they'll lose the chance to shut down the prostitution ring.

"I know you've been positioned as a bouncer there for about four months now and you need a woman on the inside. I'm just glad I won't have to dance. Me and dancing don't get along very well. People tend to get hurt."

Edward cracked a small smile for me then. I was very glad he couldn't hear how my heartbeat accelerated in response to that small gesture.

Edward explained some of the finer points of our assignment. I was to try and get closer to some of the girls to gather evidence. He would smuggle a gun under the bar for me in case of emergency. If one of us was compromised the other would walk away.

I had to smile when Edward asked for my undercover name. I remembered sitting on Emmett's couch with Emmett and his wife Rosalie discussing what name I would use. Emmett flipped out when Rosalie suggested the porn name formula of your middle name plus your mother's maiden name.

"Marie McCarty was our grandmother's name! Bella is not going to defile her memory by working in a nudie bar using that name," Emmett had exclaimed.

"Okay, how about your first pet's name and the name of the first street you lived on?" Rosalie recommended.

"I don't think Hammy Applewood is really an appropriate undercover name," I had replied giggling. "Besides, I don't want to defile poor Hammy the Hamster's memory either."

I held my hand out to Edward and reintroduced myself as Phoenix Parker. Edward quirked a brow at my choice of fake moniker.

"I know how cheesy it sounds," I defended. "But I lived in Phoenix until I was a junior in high school. That's when I moved to Forks to live with my dad. Everyone at school there called me Phoenix, so I'm used to answering to it. Parker is a small town in Texas where my partner Jasper was born and raised. Besides, aren't the girls who work at these types of clubs supposed to have fake sounding names?"

EPOV

Bella was certainly turning out to be a surprise. When Emmett told me his sister would be going undercover with me I expected a tough, streetwise woman. From what Emmett had told me about Bella I'm sure she was all of those things; but she just looked so...innocent. Beautiful. Pure. She looked to be all sorts of things that would get her into trouble in a place like the Drunk Tank. I only hoped she could hold her own.

An unfamiliar warmth spread through my hand when I shook hers. I must have had a weird look on my face because Bella rushed to defend her choice of undercover name.

"It's actually perfect for you Bella. Did you say you're Jasper Whitlock's partner?"

"Yes, we've been together for almost four years now. We started at Seattle PD the same day. He's a great guy. I trust him with my life on a daily basis and he's never let me down," she replied.

"He'd better be a great guy. He just eloped with my baby sister. Mom was very disappointed that she didn't get to plan the wedding of the decade." I was disappointed that I didn't get to meet Jasper's beautiful partner outside of work. Now our relationship would have to be strictly professional.

We continued to discuss the particulars of the case. I showed her the blueprints for the club and several places inside the club where I'd stashed some weapons and surveillance equipment. She asked me several very intelligent questions. My worries over her capabilities were easing somewhat. I still felt the need to protect her though. I'd have to let that go; it was dangerous for us to get attached emotionally in a job like this.

It was easier said than done, especially when she emerged from her bathroom dressed for her interview for the bartender position. She was wearing a short blue kilt and a white collared shirt. I could see she was wearing a red, lacy bra underneath. It was my every catholic schoolgirl wet dream come to life. I had to turn away to compose myself.

"How do I look?" Bella asked me. "I'm used to dressing as an actual prostitute on the beat. Is this too much for working at a strip club?"

I cleared my throat before replying, "No, you'll fit right in. But you should probably find shoes with a lower heel. You may have to run for your life at some point."

Bella stuck one foot out in front of her and pointed her toes. The action elongated her perfectly toned legs. Fuck me; she was affecting me in a way that none of the strippers at the club had been able to accomplish. I had to remind myself of the promise I'd made to Emmett to protect his baby sister to stop myself from reaching out to caress her leg.

"My sister-in-law is a former pageant queen. She put me through stiletto boot camp as prep for her wedding. There was an obstacle course complete with tires to run through. She didn't want me tripping down the aisle and ruining her big day. I could probably do a five mile jog in these babies. Hell, even Emmett could jog in these. He got stuck as my partner in the three-legged stiletto race," Bella replied with a wink.

I grabbed Bella's arm as she passed me to get to the door. The same heat from our previous handshake flooded my body and I quickly let go.

"You need to be careful Bella. I promised Emmett I'd keep you safe, and I never break my promises. If you're going to back out, now is the time."

Bella's eyes blazed and she practically growled her words at me, "I'm a lot tougher than I look. I can make Emmett cry like a bitch in under fifteen seconds. No one at the academy could take me down in hand-to-hand combat. I'm almost as good a marksman as most of the SWAT team. The innocent, helpless look? It's what makes my cover so good. No one expects me to kick their ass until it's too late. Would you like a demonstration?"

Before I could reply, Bella had me pinned to the floor with my arms twisted painfully behind my back. She was right; I didn't even see it coming.


	4. Chapter 3

**You know the drill...I don't own anything. Please read and review...a centipede skittered across my keyboard while I was typing this chapter. I'm traumatized.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

My interview with Seymour, the owner of the Drunk Tank had gone very well. He seemed almost as impressed with my drink mixing skills as he did with my cleavage. And I make a damn fine martini. I was hired on the spot and asked to start the next day.

The club itself wasn't much to look at. The bar was pretty standard as far as bars go. There was a main stage complete with pole and two smaller stages with cages suspended above them. Several tables surrounded the thrust of the stage, and there were booths lining the walls. Some had tables as them, but most were furnished with a couch or several chairs. I shuddered at the prospect of having to clean those particular pieces of furniture. I could only hope that would be someone else's job.

Seymour explained the rules of the club to me. There was to be no dating customers outside of work. There was to be no sex on the premises whatsoever. I could keep whatever tips I earned, but my 'uniforms' would come out of my paycheque. If I broke something, I bought it. Unlike the cocktail waitresses I didn't have to work topless, but I was more than welcome to if I felt comfortable.

Seymour wasn't totally unfortunate looking. He was tall and muscular. He had long black hair and light blue eyes. I might have even found him attractive if I didn't know what he did for a living. He seemed to be a little too friendly for my tastes. I would have to keep an eye on him.

Edward followed a block behind me as we made our way to the Tank for my first night of work. We didn't want to rouse anyone's suspicions by arriving together. I was glad to know that he had my back no matter what went down.

Once inside the club I was quickly introduced to the other bartender I'd be working with. Kendra pulled me into the small supply closet behind the bar and handed me my outfit for the night. I had to quickly bite my tongue to stop myself from asking where the rest of it was. It didn't take me long to change into the tiny pair of Daisy Dukes and shirt I'd been given. At one point I think it had been a football jersey. A child's football jersey if the size was any indication. It was very tight and was cut off so high that I was pretty sure my boobs would fall out of the bottom if I had to reach anything from the top shelf behind the bar.

AC/DC started blasting out of the speakers as Kendra and I finished prepping the bar for opening time. I took a look around as several burly men in leather approached the bar. I noticed Edward was helping a busty half-nude woman into one of the cages. He looked my way and winked. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach in response to his gesture.

"That's Anthony," Kendra spoke over my shoulder. "Totally hot. But I'm pretty sure he's gay. I know several of the women here have offered him a little stress relief but he always turns them down. He's here to protect the dancers. I wouldn't mind having him guard my body if you know what I mean."

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," I suggested. I frowned internally at the thought and then checked myself. What did it matter to me if he had a girlfriend? We were just here on a case; nothing more. I had to keep things professional, no matter how attractive my new partner happened to be.

I watched Kendra as she began filling orders. She was very pretty in a girl-next-door with fake boobs kind of way. She flirted easily with the customers and swayed her hips to the beat of the songs playing over the sound system. I noticed she would brush her hands across my hips or shoulders whenever she passed me behind the bar.

We were kept pretty busy between the stripteases onstage with filling drink orders. There was usually a one or two song break between dancers and the bar area tended to get a little crowded at those times. I didn't have to worry so much about remembering drink recipes; I spent most of my time measuring out shots of hard liquor or pulling pints of beer.

Kendra struck up a conversation during a lull at the bar.

"I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable. I've found when we flirt with each other at the bar we get bigger tips. The guys around here are suckers for a little girl-on-girl action. If you want me to stop I will."

I reassured her that I was okay with her innocent flirting. She told me that she was working at the club to pay off her mother's medical bills. Her mom had just fought through a brutal bout of breast cancer and was expected to make a full recovery. Paying for the treatment had put the two of them deep into debt so Kendra really relied on her tips to support her mom. I was relieved to find that I had a friend at work.

Edward eventually made his way over to the bar. We introduced ourselves to one another again and he asked for a bottle of water. I couldn't help but notice how incredible he looked in his sweat-soaked t-shirt. It clung to him in all the right places, accenting his well-defined pecs and hinting at a six pack. Fuck, I needed to focus on the case, not on Edward's gorgeous eyes.

EPOV

_'Fuck I need to focus on the case'_, I told myself. _'Not on how hot my new partner is.'_

I watched Bella and Kendra prep the bar for the evening ahead. Bella looked stunning in her tiny shorts and jersey. I actually groaned out loud as Bella leaned over the bar to clean it. I was given the perfect view of her delicious cleavage. I heard a giggle from my left as I adjusted the results of the view Bella had provided.

"Finally! I was beginning to worry that you had some erectile issues going on baby. I shake my moneymakers for you on a daily basis and I get nothing," Madison said as she headed towards the cage she would be dancing in for the night. She was a beautiful woman, and we flirted regularly, but there was nothing untoward happening between us. Madison was very happily married.

"I can assure you my dear there is nothing wrong with my equipment," I replied helping her into the cage. I noticed Bella looking my way and I quickly winked at her. She smiled back at me. Funny, the warmth I felt earlier when we touched seemed to be airborne as well.

"I'm not here to judge darling," she cooed at me. "Besides, I'd rather be with a man who needs Cialis than a man who needs Valtrex.

"Seymour says her name is Phoenix something or other. Do you want me to find out if she's single?"

"No thanks Madison. I don't date co-workers; things tend to get messy," I answered.

It was business as usual as the night progressed. A couple of guys got too drunk to keep their hands to themselves, so I escorted them outside. I did my best to keep an eye on Bella while I worked. She looked perfectly comfortable behind the bar. She was fast on her feet and quick to smile at her customers. I'll admit to doubting her abilities to work undercover at first, but she seemed to know what she was doing.

Midway through the night I approached the bar to 'introduce' myself to Bella.

"Hello Kendra," I said with a wink for the blonde. I turned to Bella and offered her my hand. "I'm Anthony Cullen, I'm a bouncer. You can call me over if you're having trouble with any of the customers trying to get too friendly."

She took my hand and I was once again suffused with heat from the contact.

"I'm Phoenix. Phoenix Parker. I'll be sure to keep your offer in mind, although I'm pretty sure I can handle my own issues myself. Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.

I noticed her staring at my chest as she handed me the bottle of water I'd asked for. Being an equal opportunity chauvinist I took a quick peek at Bella's chest while she ogled mine. I knew I'd be dreaming about the way her nipples strained against her tiny shirt. I thanked her for the water and took a large gulp.

I really needed a cold shower.


	5. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or story alerted this story. You make me want to write more. Special thanks to JustAReader for the reviews and for the concern over my insect related PTSD ;)**

**As always, I don't own anything recognizable. I do however own the Drunk Tank. Anyone who reviews gets free drinks from the bar...maybe we can get Undercoverward to serve drinks topless...**

**

* * *

**BPOV

A loud knock woke me up. I noticed there was bright sunlight peeking around the edges of my curtains. I looked at the clock and groaned. It was already two in the afternoon. My feet hurt and my eyes felt gritty. I'd worked at the club until three this morning; staying after closing time to help clean up. I'd tumbled into bed after taking a quick shower to wash the smell of malt liquor from my skin.

The knocking on the door was getting louder. I cursed loudly as I stumbled out of bed and into the coffee table. I'd left most of my coordination issues behind in high school, but I was still rather ungraceful upon awakening. I peered through the peephole and saw coffee on the other side. Actually it was Edward with coffee, but my sleepy brain was crying out for caffeine. I opened the door to let the coffee in and curled up on the couch.

"I thought you might like a late breakfast. It's just some pastries and coffee. I didn't know what you'd like so I picked up a little of everything," Edward said while setting the food and coffee on the table. I cursed again and hid my face as Edward pulled the curtains open.

"Not a morning person then?" he observed with a laugh.

I glared at him as best as I could through squinty eyes that were still adjusting to the light now flooding the room.

"I've punched people for mocking me first thing in the morning," I grumbled. "You're just lucky you brought me caffeine or I'd have to shoot you."

"Technically it's afternoon Bella. But I know it's hard to adjust to working nights. You'll feel better after a couple of days," he said, handing me a cup of coffee and settling next to me on the couch.

We spent the better part of the afternoon getting to know one another better. I learned that we had a shared passion for Kevin Smith movies, photography and Dance Dance Revolution. Edward loved sushi and I loathed seafood of all kinds. I liked Thai food while Edward preferred Italian. We both agreed that clowns are creepy and that men should never wear sweatpants in public.

As we talked I realized that Edward would be a fine interrogator. He looked at me in a way that made me spill my darkest, dorkiest secrets. I admitted to him that the first concert I'd ever been to was a New Kids on the Block concert. I told him that I loved watching Roller Derby on TV when I was a little girl and had dreamed about becoming a rollergirl one day. He told me he used to like NKOTB too. I got up and busted out my best New Kids' dance moves while he sang 'Step By Step' for me. We were slowly developing the kind of camaraderie we would need over the next few months as partners.

Talk eventually led back to the case.

"What's our next step?" I inquired.

"We need to find a way into Seymour's office. I tried planting a bug when I was in there for my interview but he's got some sort of signal jamming device in there. I had to wait until I had a partner to do any further investigation in his office. It's too risky to go in without a lookout.

"I've searched pretty much every other square inch of the club, except for the backstage area. No bouncers are allowed backstage. I was kind of hoping you could sneak back there. The girls have a fridge back there that needs to be kept stocked with water and other drinks. Maybe you could volunteer to help out?"

I nodded in agreement before replying, "We need to figure out who he's working with and how they're smuggling people. We need a paper trail. I'd love to get a crack at his computer files, maybe get some of his bank account information. I have a feeling if we follow the money the rest will follow."

Edward had some decent plans. The only problem would be figuring out a way into Seymour's office without arousing any suspicion. I had a feeling I'd be spending a lot more time with the boss than I'd hoped. He was a creeper.

"Holy crap!" I exclaimed looking at the time. We only had two hours left before we were due at the club.

Edward offered to make me dinner at his place while I showered. I agreed and made my way to the bathroom after locking the door behind him. I stared in disbelief at my reflection. How did Edward not burst out laughing when he saw my hair? It was frizzy and sticking up in several directions. It looked like I'd been tossing and turning in my sleep all day. I guess he just didn't notice me the way I noticed him. As disappointing as that thought was, it would help me focus on the case instead of my insanely attractive partner.

EPOV

I couldn't believe how fast the time went while Bella and I were getting to know one another better.

She had looked adorably sleep-tousled when she opened the door to let me in. Her hair was slightly mussed and she smelled incredibly sweet. I couldn't help but think how amazing it would be to have her cuddled up in bed with me. I would love to fall asleep after a round of lovemaking with my face buried in her strawberry scented hair. My groin tightened at the thought.

I had only known Bella a little over 24 hours and I'd had an almost permanent case of wood since then. I was amazed that I'd been able to converse so intelligently with Bella this afternoon considering how much of my blood had been diverted from my big brain to my not so little brain. I thought I was going to spontaneously combust when she got up to dance. I was mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the slight bounce to her chest as she moved. Unbidden, an image of her breasts bouncing as she rode me hard nearly undid me. I had to stop singing, pretending that I'd forgotten the words to get her to stop dancing. Emmett would kill me if I messed around with his sister.

I was so glad when Bella returned our conversation to the case. It was a lot easier to focus on being professional when I slipped back into Officer Masen mode. I could have kept talking to her forever had she not exclaimed at how late it was getting. I offered to make her dinner while she got ready for the evening ahead to give myself some space to calm down.

It wasn't working. All I could focus on now was what Bella was doing now. Her beautiful body would be standing under a stream of steamy water. Would she moan at the comforting sensation? I could imagine how her breasts would lift as she raised her hands to wash her hair. Rivulets of soapy water would caress her soft skin. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to join her in her shower, to run my soapy hands all over her body. I wanted to memorize every curve, to map out the areas that made her gasp and moan with pleasure.

Fuck, I was supposed to be making her dinner, not perving out on naughty thoughts of her. I glanced at the clock. It had been less than five minutes since I'd left her. With my cock attempting to break through my zipper, I decided I had enough time to take my own shower before beginning dinner preparations.

I stripped off my clothes as I waited for the water to warm up. I stepped under the hot spray and began to stroke my hard member. I wrapped my hand around my shaft and closed my eyes, pretending it was Bella's hand working over my rigid flesh. I imagined the way she would look on her knees in front of me in her naughty schoolgirl outfit. I imagined how incredible her lips would feel around my cock, sucking me deep into her throat. My balls tightened as my pleasure peaked. I grunted and spilled my release down the drain.

I scrubbed my flesh, attempting to clean the dirt from my mind. I had to regain my focus before we entered the club tonight. Even the smallest mistake could result in our deaths.

I was in the kitchen area plating our grilled cheese sandwiches when Bella knocked on my door. I let her in and gestured to the sandwiches awaiting us on my small table.

"I'm sorry, I'm not much of a cook. I can make grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs. My mom is an amazing cook, but I never caught on. Alice is even worse than I am. Mom spoiled us I guess," I said as I took my seat across the table from Bella.

"I guess it's a good thing Jasper can cook. He'll keep her well fed. This is delicious by the way," she replied, taking a bite of her grilled cheese. "I'll make dinner for you tomorrow. My mom couldn't cook at all, so I learned in self-defence. I'm surprised Emmett and I survived some of her experiments in the kitchen."

We fell into easy conversation over dinner. We shared embarrassing stories about our siblings. Bella told me how watching the difference her dad made in their small community had inspired her to join the force. I told her how my parents' effort to help those in need prompted me to follow a career in law enforcement. I was finding that my attraction to Bella was not just to her body. I genuinely wanted to get to know her better.

It was nearly time to leave. I washed the dishes and Bella dried. We worked together in comfortable silence. Bella accidentally dropped the cloth she was using to dry the dishes. We both leaned down to pick it up and ended up bashing our foreheads together. We both laughed and rubbed our injuries. I didn't notice how close we were standing until I saw Bella's pupils dilate as she stared at my mouth. I could feel the heat of her breath blowing across my face as she leaned in to me.

"This is a really bad idea," she whispered as I closed the distance between us.

Our kiss was gentle at first; two sets of lips tentatively learning the shape of the other. I wanted to taste her. I gently swept her bottom lip with my tongue. I groaned as she opened her mouth to grant me entrance. Her tongue gently caressed mine and I pulled her body flush against mine. Her hands slid up from my shoulders to tangle in my hair.

It was the sound of my cell phone ringing that brought us back to reality. I reluctantly pulled away and answered the phone. It was Emmett calling to check in.

"How's my baby sister? Are you taking good care of her?" he asked.

"She's fine," I replied, out of breath. "She can definitely hold her own. We've got some plans in place. We should be seeing some results soon."

Emmett and I always kept our phone conversations vague, never using names. We had a secure line, but it never hurt to be cautious in our line of work.

"Dude, you sound out of breath. Everything okay?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, I'm just running kind of late. I'll call you later," I promised, hanging up before Emmett could question me further.

"Well this is awkward," Bella said. I looked up to see her nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Her lips were swollen and red from our kisses and I ached to kiss her again.

"Listen, Bella, we're partners in a very dangerous undercover position. Sometimes living in such a precarious life-or-death way makes things feel urgent, more intense somehow. You're a very attractive woman, but we can't let this get out of hand. We need to focus on the case. Friends?" I asked, holding my hand out to shake hers.

"Friends," she repeated, shaking my hand. When she turned to walk out the door I almost called her back. It took every ounce of willpower I had to let her leave.


	6. Chapter 5

**M'kay, I still don't own the Twilight universe. But I do own the Drunk Tank!**

**All your reviews make me do a geeky little happy dance at my laptop. So as a reward to everyone who reviews this chapter before 10pm EST on Thursday (04/16/09) I will have a topless Undercoverward pm you a drink. Just let me know in your review what your drink of choice is. Does this make me a whore for reviews?  
**

**

* * *

**BPOV

It had been a full week since the kiss in Edward's kitchen. A full week of waking up tangled in my sheets from dreams of Edward; my panties dripping. There was something about Edward that had me hornier than a teenager on prom night. It was his voice, his smell, his kiss. All his parts combined together perfectly to drive me absofuckinglutely crazy.

I dreamt about his hands working their way over my naked flesh. I dreamt about the feel of his soft hair against my thighs as he gave me the most intimate of kisses. I dreamt about the fire in his eyes as he moved over me, completing me. I hadn't masturbated this much since I was 16 and discovered the joys of self-gratification. I was going to give myself carpal tunnel syndrome.

Edward and I settled into a comfortable routine. He would bring me a late brunch and we would spend our afternoons plotting and laughing. I would make us dinner while trying to teach Edward how to cook. He seemed to have a knack for burning the shit out of our food. You'd think with a fake last name like Cullen he'd have more culinary skills. At least he was pretty. But he wasn't just another pretty face; he was smart and funny too. I found myself liking him more and more every day. I was in danger of falling for him.

Working at the Drunk Tank was actually turning out to be tolerable. Kendra was turning out to be a good friend. She gave me some really good tips on how to survive our job. We always kept an empty beer bottle under the bar for occasions when our customers would buy us a drink. We would take the shot, and then spit it into the beer bottle when we 'took a sip' as a chaser. I was glad for her advice; I needed to keep a clear head as Edward and I plotted to gather evidence against Seymour.

Kendra and I were making a killing with our tips. We were quite comfortable dancing and flirting together now. Every now and then she'd lean over to whisper in my ear. She was usually making fun of our patrons, but they didn't know and they seemed to find it arousing. Tips went through the roof whenever I swatted her ass as she walked by. I was happy to be helping her earn more money. I was curious about one thing though.

"Kendra, why aren't you a dancer? No offense, I love working with you, but you could make better money up on stage than you do pulling pints behind the bar with me," I asked during a lull in the action.

"My mom made me promise not to dance here. She was mad enough that I took the job in the first place. I had to swear to her that I'd stay behind the bar; otherwise she would have never let me out of the house. She's very overprotective. She hates that I'm working here. I'm not too crazy about it myself," she said. She looked uncomfortable with the topic, so I let it drop.

The bar was beginning to get flooded with thirsty patrons. We did our best to keep up with the orders and soon had everyone satisfied. I noticed a gentleman at the bar who had been there for quite some time. He would politely ask for a beer and he would nurse it for a long time; just staring at us as we worked. He had kept up this pattern for several nights in a row. He didn't seem to be at all interested in the dancers on the stage. Edward had asked Kendra and I if we wanted to have him removed, but he seemed harmless enough. His beer was getting close to empty, so I approached to see if he wanted anything else.

"Can I get you another?" I asked, smiling politely.

"No thanks honey. I wonder if I could ask you and your friend for a favour though," he said hesitantly.

I was wary of what his request might be. All sorts of weird, perverted possibilities ran through my mind. I waved Kendra over and gestured for him to continue.

"I don't want you girls to think I'm a big pervert or something, but I was wondering if I could just see the two of you kiss a little. I'll pay you each a hundred dollars, and I'll stay on this side of the bar. It's always been a fantasy of mine, but I've been too shy to ask anyone else. You two ladies have just been so nice to me, so I figured I'd give it a shot."

I glanced at Kendra. She looked shocked.

"Give us one moment to talk it over amongst ourselves, sir," I reasoned, pulling Kendra into the supply closet behind the bar.

"I don't want this to make our friendship weird, but I know you could use the money. I've never kissed a woman before, but I'm game if you are," I said.

"Are you serious?" Kendra asked, looking intrigued.

"Yes, but don't feel pressured. If you don't want to, it's okay with me," I reassured her.

"Let's do it. But you have to pinkie-swear things won't get awkward afterwards. This is strictly a business transaction."

I offered my pinkie up and wrapped it around hers. We both giggled nervously.

"Let's get on out there and transact our business!" I said to cut the nervous tension.

I took Kendra by the hand and we approached the man together.

"You give us half up front and half afterwards and you've got yourself a deal," announced Kendra.

The gentleman handed Kendra two fifty dollar bills and laid another two on top of the bar. It was now or never.

I turned to Kendra and brushed her hair behind her ear. She put her arms around my waist and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. Slowly and gently our lips met for the first time. It was very different kissing a woman. I could feel her breasts pushing against mine as our bodies moved in closer. Her lipgloss made our kiss taste like cherries and her hair was very soft when I reached up to tangle my hands in it. As our lips moved sensually and slowly together, Kendra grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to her body. I could feel her hard nipples rubbing against mine. I moaned into her mouth and she took the opportunity to slip her tongue into my mouth. We teased and caressed each other's tongues for several moments before easing off and ending the kiss.

"Wow," was all I could say.

It seemed our customer agreed with my assessment. He thanked us for our time and left the money on the bar for us. Kendra and I squealed and hugged with excitement over our success. I was still firmly heterosexual, but that kiss was very hot.

Seymour approached us behind the bar and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Phoenix, can I see you in my office for a minute?" he asked. "Don't worry, I'm not going to fire you! You two ladies are doing an excellent job working together."

"Sure," I replied, smiling up at him.

He led me out from behind the bar, past some of the semi-private booths. I had to work hard to hide my shock as I noticed a burly biker-type with a mullet gripping the hair of the woman on her knees in front of him. It was obvious from the way her head was bobbing over his lap that he was getting a blowjob. He just winked at me and licked his lips as I walked past. I had to stifle the shudder fighting to break loose. I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward staring at me intently. I gave him a quick thumbs-up behind Seymour's back to let him know things were okay.

Seymour took me down a dark hallway. From the sounds leaking through the closed doors lining the corridor I could only assume there were less than legal activities being practiced in the private rooms. He stopped at the last door on the left and pulled out a key card, which he used to open the door.

"Welcome to my office Phoenix. Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?" he offered, gesturing to the large leather couch that dominated one wall of the room.

"No thanks, I'm fine," I replied taking a seat.

Seymour took a seat next to me on the couch and put his hand on my knee. He stared at my mouth for almost a full minute before beginning to speak.

"How do you like working here so far?" he asked.

"Things are really going well. Kendra's a lot of fun to work with and the tips are great," I replied.

"Phoenix, you're a beautiful girl. Smart too, I can tell that about you already. I like a beautiful lady with a good head on her shoulders. You could go far in a place like this if you know the right people," he said suggestively, running his hand further up my thigh.

I swallowed back the urge to punch him. I needed to find a way to get information from him and I didn't think he'd be very forthcoming if I broke his nose. That would have to be my last resort.

I looked around his office. There was a large desk with a bookcase behind it on the opposite wall from the couch I was currently sitting on. He had a laptop sitting on his desk. He probably took that home with him when he left. Crap, that meant Edward and I would have to figure out a way in while Seymour was at the club.

I stood up and made my way over to his bookshelf to scan the titles. I ran my hand over a row of classic English literature. Bingo, these books were a false front to something. I leaned down and pretended to study the titles on the shelf below, giving Seymour a nice view as my tiny skirt rode up. I looked over my shoulder at him and slowly stood up. I felt warm breath tickle my neck. I turned towards Seymour and peered up at him through my lashes, trying to look bashful.

"I love to read," I said. "I find the classics to be incredibly...stimulating. Well written prose can arouse the imagination and titillate the senses. What's your favourite?"

Seymour cleared his throat and adjusted himself. His eyes never left my cleavage when he replied, "A Tale of Two Cities." Classy. It was hard to believe such a smooth talker could still be single.

I glanced down at the area he had adjusted and licked my lips. This was almost too easy.

"My favourite is an Oscar Wilde short story. Have you heard of 'The Remarkable Rocket'?" I asked.**

Seymour shook his head to indicate that he hadn't.

"I lost my copy," I continued. "Do you know where I could find a Remarkable Rocket?"

"Phoenix, would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow evening?" Seymour blurted out. "I won't fire you for saying no. I just want to get to know you a little better."

"I would like that very much," I replied.

"I can pick you up tomorrow at five. It's your day off isn't it?" he asked.

"It sure is. Dinner sounds perfect."

EPOV

Holy sweet merciful fuck! My partner was behind the bar locking lips with her co-worker. It was a beautiful sight to behold; but truth be told I was jealous. I remembered what it had felt like to have Bella's soft lips caressing mine. I remembered how sweet she tasted and how delicious she smelled. Most of all I remembered how her body felt pressed up against the length of mine. I wanted to punch myself for giving up the opportunity to kiss her like that.

Seymour looked happy at the show the girls were giving. I saw him put his arm around Bella and I wanted to hit him. He and Bella walked past the private booths towards his office. Bella flashed me a thumbs up to let me know everything would be okay.

They were gone for a long time. When Bella finally returned we hurriedly made plans to rendezvous in one of the private rooms to discuss her meeting with Seymour.

"He asked me out tomorrow night," Bella said, checking her watch. "I guess that means tonight though. We're going to need some surveillance equipment. I'll call Emmett; he can hook us up with what we need."

"That's great news Bella. Maybe we'll finally get some info on this guy," I said, forcing enthusiasm into my voice.

"Oh, guess what! He has a false front of books in his office. It's on the fourth row up from the bottom, on the left. I have an idea for how to sneak you into his office. I'll tell you all about it later, I have to get back to the bar," she said quickly checking to see if there was anyone in the hallway.

The hall must have been clear, because she left me alone. I waited a couple of minutes and stuck my head out to check. The coast was clear and I made my way back to the front of the stage.

I was not as happy as I should have been. Bella's date would be a perfect opportunity for her to try and get some information. At the very least, she would be working to gain Seymour's trust. It was excellent news for our case. But I couldn't stop the jolt of jealousy I felt. I wanted to be the one taking Bella out on a date. I wanted to able to bring her flowers and kiss her at her door at the end of the night.

I would have to follow them discreetly. Just to make sure my partner was safe, of course. I was working hard to convince myself that Bella's safety was my only motivation for wanting to tag along on her date.

I had almost managed to convince myself when I noticed a large man reach up to try and grab Madison from off the stage. I grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back. We had some trouble with this particular patron a while back. He had been barred from the club for trying to pull dancers from the stage in the middle of their routines.

I escorted Mr. Snatch and Grab outside and reminded him that he was not welcome. He turned to walk away, so I turned to re-enter the club. Light exploded behind my eyes as I felt a solid impact with the back of my head. My ears were ringing and I could taste aluminum at the back of my tongue. I managed to stagger two steps before everything around me went black.

* * *

****The Remarkable Rocket is the story of a pompous firework that sees himself as destined for great things. In the end he explodes all alone due to his own folly. No one notices except for a single bird. I 3 Oscar Wilde.**

**Anybody else want to kiss UndercoverWard better?**


	7. Chapter 6

**As always, I own nothing in the Twilight universe. But the Drunk Tank is all mine bitches! **

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, favourites and alerts. But seriously, only one person has let me know their drink choice for their drink from Undercoverward! He's feeling a little neglected ;)**

**

* * *

**BPOV

About three things I was absolutely certain:

One, the man in front of me at the bar had obviously been neglecting his hygiene for an unhealthy amount of time. His teeth were actually green.

Two, I had seen Edward escort the shady looking character currently sneaking up to the stage outside. Mr. Shady was wiping his knuckles on his shirt and taking furtive glances behind him.

Three, I did not see Edward come back inside.

My spidey-sense was tingling. I told Kendra I was stepping out for a minute and hurried out the door. Edward was lying on the ground, moaning and holding his head. I rushed over and knelt down beside him.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" I asked, checking for the source of the blood on the back of his neck. There was a lot of blood, but it seemed to be coming from a relatively small cut.

"You smell pretty," he said, reaching out to touch my hair. He pulled a strand to his face and sniffed. Officer Masen sniffed my fucking hair in the middle of a gigantic undercover case. We were fucked if I couldn't get him out of here fast.

I managed to drag him to his feet. He stumbled a bit, so I supported him as we walked back into the Drunk Tank. I kept us as close to the door as possible and frantically waved for Kendra to come over.

"Holy shit Anthony! Are you okay?" she yelled when she saw the blood trickling down his shirt.

"I think Mr. Pervtacular trying to climb onto the stage may have sucker-punched him," I said gesturing towards the stage with my one free hand. "Anthony lives in my building, I'm going to get him home, cover for me okay?"

"Bella, you're beautiful," Edward said, running a finger across my bottom lip.

"Wow, he speaks Italian. Who knew?" I laughed nervously, turning him around to leave. Kendra gave us a funny look, but agreed to help us out. I promised her I'd call her later to let her know how 'Anthony' was doing.

By the time we stumbled back to our building the bleeding seemed to have stopped. I pulled Edward into my apartment to clean him up. I eased his bloodstained shirt over his head and went to the bathroom for my first aid kit and some fresh towels. I was running the towels under warm water when I felt Edward wrap his arms around me from behind. I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing but I ended up moaning instead as Edward brushed his thumbs down the sides of my breasts. Edward grabbed my hips and pulled me back into his erection. His lips nuzzled into my neck. I shivered at the sensation, my bare legs brushing against his bare legs.

"Edward?"

"Yes Bella?"

"Where the fuck are your pants?" I demanded. Now I was both horny and confused.

"Mmm, I love it when you talk dirty," Edward hummed into my ear.

His hands were now making the trek north towards my breasts under my shirt. I had to get this situation under control soon; otherwise I would be taking advantage of my injured partner. I reluctantly grabbed Edward's hands and stepped away from him. I burst out laughing when I looked at him. His pants were around his ankles, his erection prominently tenting his black boxer-briefs.

"Sit," I commanded, pointing at the toilet.

"But only sissies sit. I'm a stand and deliver man!" Edward protested.

I would have cheerfully beaten him senseless at that point if he wasn't already injured. And hot as fuck. I took a deep, calming breath.

"Edward, you have to sit so I can clean up your head," I said, pointing once more to the toilet.

"Fine," Edward grumbled, shuffling over to sit. His pants were still trapped around his ankles, making him waddle like a demented duck. Even waddling like a penguin, he still managed to be hot as fuck.

I gently cleaned the blood from his scalp. He had a small cut near the base of his skull, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. I checked his pupils next. They were both fine. He was able to follow my finger with his eyes until I moved it near my chest. Then he followed my breasts with his eyes. He told me his name, the date, and that he thought I was pretty. He said he wasn't tired or nauseous. I was relieved that he didn't seem to have a concussion.

"Well, I don't think you have any permanent brain damage. I'm going to call Emmett to get us some backup for my date with Seymour. Why don't you go lie down and rest?" I suggested, leading Edward over to my bed.

I pulled his pants off of his ankles and tucked him under my blankets. He yawned and closed his eyes. I found myself staring at his relaxed features. His mouth relaxed into an adorable pout as he drifted off to sleep. I gently moved a stray lock of hair off his forehead. He sighed and snuggled into my pillow. I was tempted to climb in next to him, but decided against it. I didn't want him to think I was some weird depraved woman trying to take advantage of his injuries; even if I was a weird depraved woman who wanted very much to take advantage of him.

I grabbed my cellphone and called Emmett. I grimaced at the time on the clock as I waited for him to answer, but I knew I'd need him later today when I went out with Seymour. Edward might still be too woozy to help me out if things went badly.

"What the fuck?" came my brother's groggy voice over the phone.

"Can't a sister call her brother in the middle of the night just to say hello?" I joked.

"Not if she wants to live. Is something wrong?" I could hear rustling in the background. Emmett was probably getting out of bed, not wanting to wake Rosalie. I didn't blame him for that. Rosalie was a very nice woman until you tried waking her up. Emmett once required three stitches in his shoulder from a high heeled shoe she threw at him for waking her up before the alarm went off. He proposed to her the next day.

"I have a date with my new boss later on today. Our mutual friend took a big hit to the head earlier. He's a little punch-drunk, so I think I may need backup. You feeling up to a little Mission: Impossible?" I asked.

"I'll be there. Mind if I bring along an old friend of yours? He's dying to get a little action," Emmett replied.

"Sounds good."

Emmett and I made plans for meeting later that day before saying goodbye. I was excited about getting to work with him again. I always felt so safe when I knew Emmett had my back. It would be interesting to see what Jasper and Edward's first meeting would be like.

I contemplated the man sleeping in my bed as I showered. We had spent a lot of time together over the last week, talking, laughing and plotting our next move. He was smart, funny and sexy as hell. I had to admit to myself that I wasn't just attracted to his body. I was attracted to who he was. It wasn't love, but it could be if I wasn't careful. Falling for my partner would be a very bad idea.

EPOV

About three things I was absolutely certain:

One, my head really, really hurt.

Two, I was in someone else's bed.

Three, the moans coming from Bella's couch were making me very horny.

I had been having a really strange dream. Emmett of all people was dancing in a cage at the Drunk Tank in a kilt and stilettos. It was Bella calling out my name that woke me up. I sat up too quickly thinking something was wrong and immediately regretted it. The world seemed to tilt on its axis as stabbing pains shot through my skull.

I held my head in my hands and looked over at Bella. She was still asleep on her couch. She was obviously having a good dream. She was moaning and writhing. One strap of her tank top had fallen down, exposing one of her full breasts to my view. Her nipple was standing at attention and she was breathing raggedly.

I got up and crossed the room to stand beside her. I was reaching my hand out to fix her shirt when she moaned my name. She fucking moaned my name like I was giving her an incredible orgasm. I wished I was. I was so startled by her moaning that my hand accidentally brushed over her puckered nipple as I put her shirt back in place. She awoke with a start.

"I was just fixing your blankets," I said quickly, pulling up her blanket. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay," she mumbled. She sat up and stretched, thrusting her delicious tits out at me.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"It's almost three."

"Emmett and Jasper will be here soon. We should get dressed," she said, yawning and looking pointedly at the erection that was straining to free itself.

I was so embarrassed. I had been caught standing over her with a raging hard-on. She must think I'm a pervert. I quickly made my way over to the bed and sat down.

"What happened last night?" Bella asked, moving to the kitchenette. She grabbed a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin and joined me on the bed.

"I took a guy outside after he tried to drag Madison off the stage," I replied, taking the offered medication. "He must have punched me in the back of the head when I turned around. I don't really remember much after that. How did we get back here?"

"I noticed you'd left with that guy. He came back inside and you didn't so I went outside to check on you. You were on the ground bleeding. It scared the shit out of me," Bella said, staring at her hands. She honestly still looked a little shaken up.

"I thought you were going to blow our cover for a minute there," Bella continued. "You called me Bella in front of Kendra. I told her you must speak Italian. I think she bought it. She won't say anything to anyone even if she doesn't. I really like working with her."

"I noticed," I smirked at Bella. Last night's events were a little hazy, but I definitely remember her making out with Kendra. The memory wasn't helping me get rid of my erection.

Bella blushed a deep shade of scarlet and studied her hands some more. She had delicate little hands. I don't think she would even be able to fully wrap one of her hands around my current problem. I put my jeans back on and tucked myself in rather uncomfortably. I needed to get back to my place to take a cold shower.

"Of all the things for you to remember, of course it was the girl-on-girl action," she mumbled.

I leaned over the back of the couch to whisper in her ear, "It was extremely hot to watch. You seemed to really enjoy yourself."

"I did," she admitted. "But it was a onetime thing. I really love a good, deep dicking."

Bella turned to look at me. Her eyes darkened and her breathing hitched as our faces inched closer together. I reached out and cupped her cheek, running my thumb over her plump lips. She moaned at the sensation and I was lost. I rolled over the back of the couch and pulled her on top of me. Our kisses were forceful, almost brutal in their intensity. I could barely pull any oxygen into my lungs and I didn't care. My hands ran up under her top and cradled her breasts. Her nipples were taut, and she moaned my name against my lips when I pinched them roughly. Her hips were moving against mine, grinding her centre against my arousal. I could feel how hot and soft she was and it was almost my undoing. I growled and trailed my lips down her throat. I pulled the straps of her flimsy top down to reveal her gorgeous breasts. I bit down on one of her nipples and then soothed it with soft kisses.

"Edward," she said in a fucking sexy-as-hell husky voice. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "But I don't think I can fight this anymore."

"Good," she said with relief evident in her voice. "I can't either. I can't sleep without dreaming about this. I need you Edward."

I could tell she was close to her orgasm by the tremor in her voice. I gripped her hips with my hands and pulled her faster and harder over my covered erection. She was panting and shaking with her release when we heard a loud knock on the door.

"You in there little sis?" Emmett's voice boomed through the door. He began knocking louder.

"Fuck, I'm coming. Hang on," she yelled.

I grinned and cocked an eyebrow at her. She just shook her head and frantically tried to smooth out her hair. She rose on slightly shaky legs and bumped into the coffee table on the way to the door. She muttered something about getting rid of the offending piece of furniture under her breath and pasted a smile on her face as she opened the door.

"What the fuck is he doing on your couch with his shirt off!" Emmett yelled before he was even a foot into the apartment.

His face was nearly purple with rage as he rushed me. For the second time I found myself pinned under a Swan on the floor. It was much more painful this time with the erection I'd been frantically trying to will away pinned underneath my body. I almost let out a girly whimper. What the fuck was with these Swans and their proclivity for randomly tackling coworkers?

"Get the fuck off him Em! He's recovering from a minor head injury. He took his shirt off last night because it was covered in blood. He slept on the bed; I slept on the couch. I couldn't leave him alone after getting hit so hard." Bella tried to reason with her brother.

"You don't have to protect him Bella. I'll make him make an honest woman of you," Emmett declared.

I heard a really high-pitched squeal. I was trying to decide if this meant Bella was enraged at the suggestion of our looming shotgun wedding or if it meant Bella was excited about the blessed event. Suddenly the weight literally left my shoulders and I was able to take a deep breath. I rolled over to see Bella dragging Emmett over to the couch by his ear. Emmett was the one squealing; he was obviously in a lot of pain.

"Aw, it's just like old times," came a drawl from the door. A tall, blonde man was pulling the door shut behind him and grinning at the spectacle on the couch. He walked over to me and offered his hand.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock. The big lug on the couch getting his ass whooped is Emmett."

I glared at Jasper and squeezed his hand as hard as he could. I wanted to kick his ass for eloping with my sister, but I knew we would need to trust one another to keep Bella safe. Bella and Emmett were staring at us from the couch, waiting with baited breath to see how this meeting would turn out.

"I'm Edward Masen, your new brother-in-law. I swear to you, if you ever hurt my sister I will cheerfully beat you to death with a rusty shovel. Got it?"

"I understand Edward. If I ever hurt your sister you have my permission to do your worst. Alice deserves nothing but the best life can offer. I love her more than my own life," Jasper replied, looking me dead in the eyes. His response allowed me to relax a little. I wouldn't have to kill him. Yet.

"Aw, brothers don't shake hands. Brothers gotta hug!" Emmet cried from the couch.

"Shut up Emma, or I'll tell dad how his beloved Billy the Singing Bass really ended up with a bullet hole through its head!" Bella threatened.

Emmett whimpered as Bella yanked hard on his hand. The angle of his arm looked painful and unnatural. I was actually impressed that she could bend his arm that way without breaking his shoulder. I would have to ask her later how she did that.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**I couldn't resist the nods to Chasing Amy and Tommy Boy.**


	8. Chapter 7

**I don't own the Twilight Galaxy. It is a fabulous song though. I was listening to Metric's new album while I was writing this chapter. Check it out, it's awesome.**

**This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has favourited, alerted and reviewed me, especially the reviewers I can't respond to.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

This was definitely one of the most fucked up afternoons I'd had in a long time.

First, I woke up to find my partner standing over me with a serious case of morning mood, although I guess judging from the time it was technically afternoon wood. Did he really brush his hand across my nipple, or was that just part of the incredibly erotic Edward dream I'd just been having? I could only hope that I hadn't been talking in my sleep.

Second, I somehow ended up on the couch grinding against a half naked Edward. I attacked his mouth like a savage while our bodies moved sensually against each other. I was in the middle of an incredible orgasm when I heard my brother pounding on the door. Judging by Edward's smirk I guess yelling out that I was coming might not have been the smartest way to answer. It's not my fault I'm practically brain dead after orgasm. I was also extremely ticklish, but that's neither here nor there.

Third, Emmett had actually tried to threaten Edward into marrying me. It was a circus trying to get Emmett calmed down while Edward met his new brother-in-law for the first time. My life was certainly not dull.

I had managed to shoo Edward and Jasper across the hall so Emmett and I could talk things out a little. We sat together on my little couch. He put his arm around me and I couldn't help but be slightly uncomfortable cuddling with my brother on the couch I'd just dry humped my partner on. I felt really bad that I'd managed to get off but Edward hadn't. Maybe he'd want to fix that together later? I was starting to think we should just fuck and get it over with. If we got it out of our systems we would be able to focus better on the case.

"So what's up with going all psycho on my partner Em? You've always been very overprotective but that was way out of line. Edward and I are maintaining a strictly professional relationship. Even if we weren't, I'm a grown woman now. You have to trust me to be able to take care of myself."

"I know Bells," Emmett said, hanging his head a little. "But I just found out Rose is pregnant. We've been trying for a while, but it's really happening now. I had a dream last night that we had a girl, and she was already a teenager. And she brought home a boy just like me! Do you remember what I was like as a teenager? No teenage scumbag is going to get near my little girl!"

"You do realize you have at least 15 years before you have to worry about your baby dating, right? I think you should be more worried about colic and potty training for now. Congratulations big brother!"

"Thanks Bells. You always did know how to talk me down from my crazy rants and schemes."

"No problem," I said with a smile. "I have plenty of practice. Remember the time you decided you wanted to stage a protest outside the Walmart because they wouldn't give you a refund on a CD without a receipt?"

"Bella, it was an Amy fucking Grant CD. I hate that shit and Aunt Betty knows it! I just wanted to exchange it for a Foo Fighters album. I can't believe Aunt Betty gave me an Amy fucking Grant CD as a birthday present in front of my friends. It was humiliating!" he protested.

"I'm just amazed you had the balls to be seen in public with that CD. I would rather walk naked through the station that be seen with an Amy Grant CD," I teased.

"Ew, I don't want to hear about your sick fetishes," Emmett taunted.

We managed to steer our conversation to the evening ahead of us. The guys were going to follow me to whichever restaurant Seymour took me to this evening. Jasper would dine inside to keep an eye on things while Edward and Emmett listened from the van outside. Yes, I would be wired, and yes, we had a van. What was a good sting without some classic police stereotyping? I could tell Emmett was getting a little too excited about our mission.

"Edward and I can be the E-Team! I pity the fool who messes with my little sister," he joked.

"After your stunt earlier I think I'd call it the A-hole Team. I gotta go get slutted up for my date."

I quickly showered and styled myself. I decided to go with a nice halter dress and the killer boots I'd noticed earlier. By the time I was finished my primping Edward and Jasper had returned. Jasper whistled as I entered the room. I twirled and curtseyed.

"Okay, you guys should probably make your way down to the van. Seymour will be here to pick me up soon. Who's got the wire?"

Edward handed me the small microphone I would be wearing for the evening. It was so tiny it fit nicely into the cup of my strapless bra. Wiretapping had gone wireless.

"Testing, testing, one, two, three," I said. Emmett nodded his head to show that he was able to hear me over his headphones.

They left me alone to wait for my 'knight in shining armour'. I was just hoping Seymour would keep his hands to himself. I really, really didn't want to have to beat him up. He seemed like the kind of guy who might enjoy that sort of thing.

Seymour buzzed my door at exactly five o'clock. I had to admit to being impressed by a man with punctuality. I met him in the lobby and he greeted me with a chaste kiss on the cheek. He may have been a sleaze ball, but he actually smelled kind of nice.

"You look lovely this evening Phoenix. Do you like Mexican food?" he asked.

"Si, senor," I replied with a wink.

"Good, I made us reservations at El Camino. Shall we?" he asked, offering me his arm.

We fell into easy conversation as we made our way to the restaurant. He had grown up in a small town and lost his parents at a young age. He was raised by his uncle here in Seattle. It turns out his uncle had given him the club as a present for his 21st birthday. He was surprisingly pleasant to talk to and I could tell there was a real person hiding behind his sleazy exterior.

I noticed Jasper was already seated at the bar when we walked into the restaurant. The hostess escorted us to an intimate booth in the back corner of the restaurant. We were silent as we scanned our menus. I ordered the Enchiladas en Mole and Seymour decided on the Bistec Estilo Capitalino.

"Tell me a little more about yourself Phoenix. How did a smart girl like you end up working at a dive like mine?" Seymour asked, leaning closer across the table.

"Well, I'm an only child from a small town. My dad was a logger and my mom stayed home with me. They died in a car accident just after my 18th birthday, and I was left on my own. I wanted to go to school but there was a mix-up with some of the insurance papers, so I ended up with very little money left over after paying the funeral expenses and medical bills. I'm trying to save my money to take some night school courses," I replied.

"What are you going to study?"

"I'm thinking of studying Business Management. I want to open my own bakery some day," I confessed. I did dream of opening my own little bakery back in Forks when I retired from the force.

"Well, I know a little bit about managing a business. Let me know if you need help with any of your courses," Seymour offered.

Our food arrived and it was delicious. The mole sauce on my enchiladas was both spicy and flavourful. Time seemed to fly by as we took the opportunity to get to know one another a little better. Seymour was definitely not turning out to be the cretin I thought he was.

"I have a confession to make," Seymour said over dessert. I quirked an eyebrow at him and gestured for him to continue. "I really like you Phoenix. You're totally different from any of the other girls I've dated. Most women are disgusted with my job, so it's hard for me to date nice girls like you. The other girls I've dated from the club expect me to be a complete horndog. None of them have ever been able to have an honest, intelligent conversation with me. Women tend to tell me what they think it is I want to hear. You are unique and I'd like to see you again sometime."

"I have a confession to make too," I replied. "I didn't know what to expect from you tonight, but you've pleasantly surprised me. I feel comfortable talking to you, and you haven't once tried to feel me up or push my boundaries. I really appreciate that. Maybe we can just take things slowly for now and see what happens?"

"Agreed," Seymour said, taking my hand as we left the restaurant.

Seymour leaned in to give me a gentle goodnight kiss after escorting me up to my apartment. I gave him a tight hug and kissed him on his cheek before whispering in his ear, "Thanks for dinner."

He blushed and stammered his reply when I pulled away.

As I expected, the boys were already in my apartment when I let myself in. Emmett, Jasper and Edward were...giggling like schoolgirls? I decided I didn't even want to know what was going on.

"Guess what I got bitches!" I yelled, holding up my surprise.

EPOV

I couldn't believe what Bella had done. She had stolen the access card to Seymour's office from his wallet during their date. Had she lost her fucking mind?

"Are you fucking stupid?" I yelled before I could stop myself.

"Excuse me?" she asked icily, glaring at me and crossing her arms.

Emmett and Jasper took this as their cue to make a hasty exit, promising to call later. I sighed and pulled my fingers through my hair, taking a seat at Bella's tiny kitchen table. I looked up and saw she had taken up pacing between the kitchenette and the couch. It took her eight steps to get from the counter to the couch. I counted 32 steps while I gathered my thoughts before speaking.

"When he goes to work and realizes he's missing his access card, how long do you think it will take him to figure out what happened? He's going to know someone is on to him. What if he figures out it was you? You could end up getting killed over this."

"Edward, he will never know it was me. I'm good at this shit," she shot back, pulling my phone and my Amex out of her purse and throwing them on the table in front of me.

"Why did you take my stuff?" I asked, getting more aggravated with my partner. When had she taken my things? I had to admit to myself that she really was a good pickpocket. I hadn't felt a thing.

"I took it because I knew you would overreact like this. We're partners in this Edward, but you don't seem to think I can handle taking the risks needed to work this case. We need to get into Seymour's office, and instead of being happy that I've provided us with a way in, you're acting like I pissed in your Wheaties. What is your problem?"

"My problem is that my partner doesn't seem to think it's necessary to let me in on her plans to crack this case. If we're going to watch each other's backs we need to be able to trust each other. I need to trust that you aren't going to be going off without me, running headfirst into danger," I spat out at her. This discussion was getting us nowhere other than pissed off at one another.

Bella crossed the room, danger and fury filling her eyes. She grabbed me by the arm and twisted it painfully. She yanked me to my feet and marched me over to the bed. This must have been the same hold she'd had Emmett in earlier. She pushed me down onto the mattress and jumped on top of me, attacking my lips with hers. It took a minute for my brain to catch up with what was happening.

"Bella," I managed to gasp between kisses. "What are you doing?"

"We're having angry sex Edward," she said, grinding her hips into mine. "Try and keep up."

I grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her back. I seized her wrists and pinned them over her head, straddling her hips.

"Why are we having angry sex?" I asked, my face inches from hers.

"We're having angry sex because we're angry and because we need to have sex. We clearly have this crazy, fucked-up chemistry going on. I can't sleep without dreaming of this; of you on top of me, filling me, loving me. I'm too tired to fight this anymore," she whispered.

Bella closed her eyes and turned her head away from me. I could feel her chest pushing against mine every time she took a breath. Her breaths were rapid and deep, as though she had just run a marathon. I kissed each of her eyelids before releasing her hands and rolling us onto our sides. Bella still wouldn't look at me.

"Bella, love, look at me," I pleaded gently.

"No," she said quietly. I could tell from the tone of her voice she was holding back tears.

"Bella, I want this too. You have no idea how much I want this. But angry sex isn't going to fix anything. The issues we have now will still be there in the morning. And I want to fix this because I don't want to lose the connection we have.

"It isn't just about our crazy chemistry. I really like you as a person, and I want to get to know you better. But I need to be able to trust that we can communicate about the case, because at the end of the day that has to be our priority right now. When all of this undercover insanity is over we can let our hearts and genitals have free reign over our actions, but for now we need to focus on getting our job done. People are counting on us."

"I know," she sighed, sitting up. "You're right. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about my plan. I still think it's a good plan though."

I sat up and took her hand in mine. It was so tiny and delicate. I could see the patterns of her veins through her translucent skin and I couldn't help but trace them with my fingertips.

"Tell me your plan," I asked.

"Well, we've got the keycard for Seymour's office now. I was thinking that I could go into work a little early tomorrow evening and ask to speak to him in one of the private rooms. While we're talking, you can sneak into his office and take a look behind those false books, and maybe copy some of his computer files if you're able. Are you up for a little old fashioned B and E?"

"It sounds like a solid plan. I'm sorry I exploded at you earlier. The thought of you being in danger doesn't sit well with me. I know you're a strong, independent, kick-ass woman, but you bring out my overprotective nature," I replied, liking her plan very much.

I pulled Bella into my arms and she snuggled right in to me. It was a comfortable fit, like we'd been cuddling for years. We sat in comfortable silence, lost to our own thoughts for quite some time. It was Bella who finally broke the calm.

"What were you and the others laughing about when I came back into the apartment tonight?"

"Emmett and I realized that we'd both given the standard older brother speech today," I chuckled.

"Standard older brother speech?" she questioned.

"You know, the 'if you ever hurt my little sister I will perform unspeakable acts of torture on you that will leave you permanently disfigured in some way' speech. I gave it to Jasper and Emmett gave it to me," I responded.

"Really? Emmett gave you that speech?"

"Yeah, I didn't really handle hearing you out on a date with Seymour very well. Emmett had to stop me from jumping out of the van when I saw you two leave the restaurant holding hands," I said.

Bella giggled.

"I was on a date with him because it's our cover. I'm here with you because I want to be here with you. You're growing on me Officer Masen," she said, stifling a yawn.

"I guess I should get going," I said. "We're both tired. Tomorrow is a big day, we need our rest."

"Uh-uh," Bella said, not letting me go. "You are staying here with me tonight. I promise I will be a good girl, no naughty touching unless you ask."

Bella went into the bathroom to change into her pyjamas while I stripped down to my boxer-briefs. I climbed under the covers and Bella followed not long after. I pulled the blankets up around us and Bella snuggled back up to me. She laid her head on my chest and I placed a kiss on the top of her head. It didn't take long for us to drift off to sleep.

* * *

**M'kay, I hope this is enough to hold you guys over for the next couple of days. The Wii accidentally got formatted, so I will be spending the remainder of this weekend regaining my Rock Band street cred.**

**I'm sorry for cockblocking our heroes again. I did actually consider letting them go at it all angry and such, but it would have taken their relationship in a direction that is just not conducive to the rest of the story. I did write a smuttake that I will PM to everyone who reviews this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Insert standard disclaimer about me not owning anything here.**

**Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews and well wishes for my Wii.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

I awoke around noon. Edward had his arm draped over my waist and was snoring gently near my ear. I liked the feeling of being his little spoon, all snug and secure against his warmth. I was drifting back to sleep when Edward suddenly stopped snoring and tensed for a moment behind me. I stretched, yawned and rubbed my backside against his erection before rolling over to look at him. I know I had promised no naughty touching, but a girl has to stretch, right?

"Morning," I whispered with a small smile.

"Mmm," he moaned, stretching and then yawning. "Morning."

We stared at one another. He tucked my hair behind my ear and then...nothing. I knew we needed to discuss some heavy relationship type shit, but I just didn't know where to start the conversation. I wanted to start off by licking him, but I didn't think that would be conducive to having a mature, adult conversation about where our relationship was headed. I wasn't sure I really wanted to have the talk with him yet. I really didn't want him to go back to the whole, 'let's just be friends' place again. So I did the only thing I could do to avoid the possible heartbreak.

"I have to pee," I said quickly, jumping to my feet and running to the bathroom.

I wasn't lying; I did actually have to whiz. I took my time washing my hands, brushing my teeth, brushing my hair, clipping my toenails, popping a zit and finally cleaning the toilet. I was just washing my hands again after I was satisfied with my tidy bowl when I heard Edward leave. My stomach clenched into itself and suddenly I realized that the only thing I was more worried about than having the relationship talk was avoiding the relationship talk altogether.

I quickly dressed myself and rushed over to Edward's apartment. I knocked rather timidly on the door. No answer. I knocked with a little more vigour and still didn't receive any reply. I sunk down to the floor and banged the back of my head on the door a couple of times while I gathered the courage to speak.

"Look, I know I'm a little fucked up where relationships are concerned, but we really need to talk about this. We're stuck together for the next couple of weeks anyway, and now you're related to Jazz. We can't just avoid the topic of us indefinitely.

"I'm not good at the whole relationship thing. My mom left my dad when I was five. When she died and my brother and I moved back in with our dad twelve years later he still had their wedding picture on the mantle. He was still wearing his wedding band, even though she'd remarried twice since leaving him. He still loves my mom, even now. He's shut himself off from the rest of the world because loving my mom broke him.

"I'm so afraid of being broken like that, I push people away. I usually just make life a living hell for anyone I'm in a relationship with when things start to get too involved so they'll break up with me. I'm all passive-aggressive so they can walk away blaming me instead of themselves, 'cause I don't want to break anyone else. I'm like the Ghandi of breakups.

"That's why I panicked this morning. I'm not saying I'm in love with you, because we've only known each other a little over a week. I'm saying I think it could happen and that terrifies me. Please just let me in so we can talk about this without the creepy guy from two doors down staring at me," I pleaded.

I was so busy glaring daggers at the aforementioned creepy neighbour standing in his doorway that I didn't hear the door open. I fell backwards and looked up into Edward's smiling face. He was still wearing only his boxer-briefs. He picked me up off the floor, closed the door with his foot and sat me gently on his couch.

"Bella, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad about you, and that scares me too. I'm afraid of turning all caveman and overprotective on you. It's happened in past relationships and it screws everything up. I don't want to stifle you. I need you to help me find the balance between nurturing and Neanderthal."

"If you're not mad, why did you leave?" I asked, studying his fingers.

"I left because I had to pee too," he laughed. "You were taking so long in the bathroom. I knew you needed your space, but I just couldn't hold it anymore."

I couldn't help myself, I laughed right along with him.

"So where does that leave us?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. We need to work together without our relationship getting in the way, but I don't want to go back to being just friends. As junior high as it sounds, I want to be your boyfriend."

"I don't want to go back to being just friends either. 'Cause if we stay just friends then all of my friends are going to expect me to ride them like ponies on my couch," I said with a wink.

Edward mock-growled and tackled me to the ground, tickling me mercilessly. Edward may have been the hottest man to ever walk the face of the earth but he was about to get punched. I fucking hate being tickled.

"Stop," I managed to gasp out, fighting for air between giggles.

"Promise me I'm the only one you'll ever ride on a couch," he demanded, winking to let me know he wasn't really mad.

"I promise! I promise!"

Edward stopped tickling me and I noticed how close he was to lying on top of me. I quickly took advantage of our position and pulled his lips down to meet mine. Our kisses this time were exploratory in nature. His hands tightened on my hips when I sucked on his bottom lip, and I moaned out loud when he nibbled on mine. We took our time getting to know the texture and taste of one another's mouths. Edward tasted minty and spicy. His lips were gentle and insistent.

I wrapped my leg around his waist and pulled him on top of me. I slowly worked my hips against his, both giving and taking pleasure with the action. Edward moved his kisses lower to my neck. The sound of his heavy, uneven breathing near my ear made me shiver with anticipation.

"We need to slow things down a little Bella," he whispered, licking the shell of my ear. I purposefully slowed my grinding with an impish smile.

"Is this slow enough for you Officer Masen?"

"That's not what I meant," he chuckled, not stopping me.

"We don't have to hit it out of the park today Edward, but how about we steal second base?" I pleaded, reluctant to give up the intimacy of our bodies moving together.

"Fuck yes," he breathed, moving his body over mine a little faster.

I could feel the strength of his arousal as it rubbed into the heat of mine. Our kisses slowed as our movements sped up. Edward rested his forehead against mine and we stared into one another's eyes. He would exhale while I inhaled, our breath becoming as erratic as our thrusting. I fought to keep my eyes open and focused on Edward as I felt my pleasure release. His hands gripped my hips with a crushing intensity and he dropped his head to the crook of my neck, whispering my name over and over as he came.

We lay together on Edward's floor for a long time, catching our breath and not speaking. It was a comfortable silence this time. Edward eventually stood up and offered me his hand, pulling me to my feet.

"I need to shower Bella. We need to leave soon, and I've worked up quite the appetite," he winked at me.

"I need to shower too. Last one out of the shower has to buy the pizza!" I cried, racing across the hall to my apartment. I would have loved to stay and shower with Edward but I knew that would be pushing our relationship too fast.

Despite hurrying through my shower, Edward was knocking at my door with pizza in hand by the time I was done drying my hair. We laughed and talked as we ate our hot, cheesy goodness. We were getting ready to leave when I pulled Edward in for a kiss. My hormones took over and tongues got involved. I'm easily distracted by the sexiness that is Edward.

"Not that I'm complaining," Edward said, pulling away. "But what was that for?"

I took a moment to catch my breath before replying. "We have to be different people when we leave here. I just wanted to say goodbye to Edward before you turn into Anthony."

Edward smiled and gently kissed my forehead before opening the door for me. I took a deep breath to shake Bella off and stepped into the hallway as Phoenix.

On our way to the club we set up our cell phones so that Edward would be able to hear what was happening with Seymour and I while he snooped through the office. If I said, 'library,' Edward would know to get out.

Seymour was surprised to see me at the club so early.

"Phoenix, what are you doing here already? You don't start for another hour," he said nervously.

"I was wondering if we could talk somewhere private?"

"Sure," he responded. He put his hand on the small of my back and guided me down the hallway towards his office. I pulled him into one of the private rooms instead.

"I hope you don't mind talking in here. You're office is so official and this is more of a personal conversation. I just wanted our surroundings to be a little less formal," I said sitting on the couch.

"It's okay with me," he smiled. He settled next to me on the couch with an expectant look on his face.

"Um, first of all, I wanted to say I really did have a good time last night. I haven't met anyone like you in a long time. You're just so genuine and open. But I'm a little nervous about where all of this is headed," I started. "I don't have a lot of experience dating, so I'm not sure what's supposed to happen next."

"What would you like to have happen next?" Seymour questioned.

"I don't know. Like I said, you're a nice guy, but I'm not really experienced..." I trailed off, hoping he would take the bait.

"Are you trying to tell me you're a virgin?"

Bait taken.

"Yes," I whispered, not looking at him.

"Fuck," he spat out. I looked at him, shocked at his angry reaction. He wasn't looking at me though; he was reacting to something on his cell phone. "Sorry Phoenix, I just got a text from my uncle. I need to go call him. Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

I knew Edward hadn't had enough time to gather evidence, so I did the only thing I could do in my current predicament. I burst into tears, complete with loud sobs.

"I knew you wouldn't want to see me anymore when you found out!" I wailed, really getting into my performance.

Seymour looked so conflicted that I almost felt sorry for him. I watched him out of the corner of my eye to see if he would leave. He sighed and pulled me into a gentle hug.

"That's not it at all baby," he crooned. "I think it's very special that you've waited for that special someone before having sex. We can take things as slowly as you want. But I meant what I said last night. I'd really like to take the time to get to know you. Would you like to do something together tomorrow afternoon?"

I nodded. He stood up to leave.

"Seymour, do you think we could go to a library or bookstore tomorrow? My book collection is a little sparse and I love to read."

"Sure. How about lunch and then a bookstore?" he asked.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I'm going to go change and get ready for tonight," I said. I stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Time for another night of pretending to be someone else.

EPOV

I paused for a moment in the doorway of Bella's apartment before following her to the club. I took that moment to savour the best parts of being Edward today: waking up with Bella in my arms; Bella awkwardly confessing her feelings for me in the hallway followed by our make out session on my floor. My testicles were exuberantly happy about the last memory. They had been threatening to mutiny if I didn't get them some action. I shook off my happy Edward face and replaced it with the harder Anthony facade. It was time to focus.

Sneaking into Seymour's office proved to be easier than I'd anticipated. I was half expecting to be tackled by goons the second the door opened. I quickly and quietly stole over to Seymour's laptop and began copying files to my SD cards. I found the false books while I was waiting for the files to download. Inside were 9 passports with photos missing. All of the passports were for women between the ages of 21 and 25. I quickly took pictures of them and put them back. I was just pulling out my SD card when I heard Bella ask Seymour if they could go to the library tomorrow. I booked it out of the office as stealthily as I could.

My heart nearly stopped when one of the doors in the hallway opened. I thought for sure it was going to be Seymour, but instead it was Kendra. She was straightening out her clothing and smoothing her hair down. She didn't look my way before making her way out to the main club area. A greasy fellow followed her out of the room, still zipping his fly as he left. What the fuck?

Bella caught my eye from behind the bar when I made my way over to unlock the cages on the stage for the night. I nodded my head once to let her know I'd been successful.

"Busted!" cooed a voice from behind me. I started and turned around. Madison was standing behind me gloating. "You got laid Cullen!"

"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about," I said.

"Uh-uh, don't pull that bullshit with me. We've known each other too long for secrets. Was it the brunette behind the bar?" she begged.

"A true gentleman never kisses and tells," I teased with a wink. "Especially when there's nothing to tell. Besides, we both know you're the only woman for me."

"Be still my beating heart," she said drily. "I won't tell my husband if you don't."

The rest of the night was as uneventful as a night at the Drunk Tank could be. I broke up a couple of fights and Bella served drinks. Seymour spent the night in his office, only making an appearance to watch the final act of the night. Bridgette was his favourite dancer and he never missed her performances.

I was exhausted, but I had to meet Jasper of all people for breakfast.

"Morning," I muttered as I slid into the booth across from him in the shitty little diner we'd agreed to meet in. I was mildly shocked to find a plate of sausage and scrambled eggs waiting for me.

"Hey man. I know you're probably beat, so I figured I'd order for you. Ali told me you're a big fan of the sausage," Jasper offered.

"Thanks. How is my little sis doing?" I inquired before digging in to the breakfasty goodness.

"She's doing well. She's been shooting a lot of weddings, but she's putting on a showing at a small gallery next weekend." Alice was fresh out of art school with a degree in photography. She was currently doing weddings and portraits to support herself, but she wanted to be an art photographer. Her work was amazing and I had no doubt that she'd be successful.

"That's good news. Tell her I'm very proud of her," I asked.

"Sure thing. She worries about you. She hates it when you're away for so long," Jasper said before taking a sip of his coffee. "I worry about our mutual partner. I know Em gave you the brother speech yesterday, but I feel the need to remind you of the dire consequences of fucking with her. I love her like a sister and I will kick your ass if I ever hear you disrespect her again the way you did last night.

"I'm guessing from your reaction that you didn't know she was going to swipe the card. I agree that she should have told you. But you have to understand that she follows her instincts when she's working. She has excellent instincts, and they've saved my life on more than one occasion. Please don't make her doubt herself. It could put the two of you into a dangerous position."

I nodded my head. I was really starting to like my new brother-in-law. I could see that he was a good man, and his love for Alice was evident in his voice when he spoke of her.

"We worked out our issues last night," I assured Jasper.

"Good. I'd hate to have to mess up that pretty face," he teased. "How did things go down at work?"

"I got what I needed. You'll need to do some research," I said sliding the media cards across the table.

Jasper and I chatted amicably over our breakfasts. It wasn't until my jaw nearly unhinged itself with a gigantic yawn that I realized how late it was getting. Jasper promised to keep me updated as we left the diner, both going our separate ways.

I knocked on Bella's door when I arrived back at our building, knowing she would still be awake waiting for me. She was wearing her pj's when she let me in. We snuggled down under her blankets before talking.

"What did you find?" she asked.

"There were a bunch of passports hidden in the bookcase. They were all American, and all for women between the ages of 21 and 25. There were no pictures in any of them. I gave Jasper the info. He's going to do some research and call us back. What time is Seymour picking you up?"

"He'll be here around one."

"I really hate that you have to spend time with him. I want to keep you here with me always," I said, already drifting off to sleep.

"I'd love to stay here with you forever, but we both know we have a job to do. Miles to go before we sleep and all that nonsense," Bella whispered. She pulled me into her arms and we fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 9

**I don't own Twilight or Commandant Lassard.**

**So, Boourns to me for my complete update fail. I was originally intending to post this chapter on Wednesday, but then I ended up rewriting it three times before going back to the original. I hope y'all like it. I've had to go back to work this week, only to find that the people who were supposed to be covering my shit while I was away didn't really do much. So reviews would really make my week better ;)**

**Musical inspiration for this chapter: Calculation Theme by Metric and She Looks To Me by RHCP.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

I must have been last in line when the virtue of patience was being handed out. I could curse like an angry, drunken, truck driving sailor; belch the Star Spangled Banner and throw a punch with the best of them. But I couldn't wait patiently for anything to save my life. Emmett and I shared this trait. Every Christmas we would tell each other what gifts we would be giving each other. It helped take the edge off our anticipation. So all the waiting I was being forced to do was making me a little anxious.

Edward and I had still not sealed the deal, so to speak. We slept next to one another every day, snuggled as close together as possible without actually climbing into one another's skin. We fooled around like teenagers whenever we were alone. I loved the sensation of his skin against mine and the way he could reduce me to a trembling heap of nerve endings with his fingers. The man could do incredible things with his tongue. If I was going to grade him he would have gotten an A+ on the oral exam. I understood the importance of taking the time to get to know one another. We were developing the kind of comfortable camaraderie that all lasting relationships were built upon. I just really, really, really, really wanted get to know him in the biblical sense.

The computer files Edward had copied were both encrypted and in Russian. It had been two weeks already and they still hadn't revealed anything useful, but the analysts were still working on them. The passports were all bogus of course. They were tied to phoney social security numbers, and none of them had been used anywhere yet. The State Department was going to keep us updated on any activity on the passport front.

Kendra had been acting strange ever since the day Edward had broken into Seymour's office. She was losing weight, and clearly not sleeping enough. She was jittery and wasn't flirting with me at work the way she had done in the past. I tried talking to her about it several times, but she always told me she was fine. The look in her eyes was begging me not to ask any more questions, but I couldn't help it. She was my friend and I was worried about her. When I brought it up with Edward he told me about what he had seen in the hallway.

"That just doesn't make any sense Edward! She won't strip for money, why would she fuck for it?" I mused.

"She may not have had a choice. I had Emmett take a look into her finances. Her mortgage was on the brink of defaulting, and then all of a sudden it was paid in full. I think Seymour may have put her into a position where she couldn't say no," Edward said gently.

"We have to help her. She's my friend Edward. I can't just sit back and watch her life fall apart," I said, frustrated.

"We'll figure something out love," he promised, kissing me gently.

So far we hadn't been able to come up with a workable solution to any of our problems. To make matters worse, Seymour was now starting to pressure me to let our relationship develop further physically. It was getting harder and harder to put him off.

"C'mon Phoenix, I'll be really gentle. You'll love what I can do for you," Seymour begged. We were sitting on the couch in his office having a quick dinner before the club opened.

"I'm just not ready yet," I protested. "Besides, you promised you'd let me set the pace."

Seymour slipped his hands under my skirt and gripped my ass painfully as he hauled me onto his lap. He bit my neck as he pushed his erection into me painfully. I tried to pull away, but he just held me tighter.

"See what you do to me baby? I just want to show you a good time but you keep pushing me away. It isn't very nice you know," he panted into my ear.

I wanted to throw up when he flipped me over and pinned me to the couch. He straddled my body and tore most of the buttons off my shirt in his haste to get it open. I saw red when his hands grabbed my breasts roughly. My hand shot out before I could stop myself and connected with his nose. He fell backwards and clutched his bloody nose. I struggled out from underneath his weight and held my shirt together as best I could. My hands were shaking from the sheer amount of furious energy I was holding back.

"You fucking bitch!" he screamed at me.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm myself. I needed to stay on Seymour's good side to keep the case moving. My instincts were screaming at me to end the fucker, but I forced myself to stay put. He grabbed me by the hair and threw me back onto the couch. The pulling on my scalp stung and brought tears to my eyes. Seymour's hand pulled back as though he was going to backhand me but his phone rang. He swore and took the call, speaking rapidly in a foreign language I couldn't identify. Russian? He wasn't on the phone long.

He looked at me sitting on the couch, shaking and crying and dropped to his knees in front of me in supplication. I flinched when he touched my knee and he cursed under his breath.

"I am so sorry baby," he soothed. "My uncle is giving me a hassle about the profits coming out of the club. I'm so stressed out right now, I'm going crazy! I shouldn't take it out on you. Please just give me another chance; I swear I'll never hurt you again. No more pressuring for sex either, I promise."

Looking into his eyes I could see how desperate he was for me to trust his lies. I hated myself in that moment for offering him a weak smile as though I believed his bullshit. I wanted to punch the smugness right off his face when he sensed his victory in my expression.

"I think we both need a little time to cool off," I said in a shaky voice. "I really care about you, but I just can't let myself stay in a relationship with you if you're going to hurt me like that. Can I have a couple of days to think this through?"

"Anything you want baby," he crooned, helping me off of the couch.

"I have to get to work now. The club is opening soon," I said, tying my shirt together in the front. You could see my bra but there wasn't much I could do about that now.

"You don't have to go out there tonight Phoenix. You can have the night off if you'd like," Seymour offered contritely.

"I'll be fine," I replied. "Besides, Kendra is my friend and I can't just abandon her."

I left Seymour behind and made my way out to the main club area. I was so glad Edward wasn't here tonight. If he saw how dishevelled I was he would be sure to blow his cover to beat the shit out of Seymour. I wasn't sure if I had it in me to stop him after what had just happened.

"Fuck!" Kendra exclaimed when she saw me coming around the bar. "What happened to you?"

"I'm okay," I said, brushing off her concern.

"Are you sure? I can cover for you if you'd like. I'm sure Seymour wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure he wouldn't," I said venomously. I was furious that I'd let anyone treat me the way Seymour had.

Kendra pulled me into the storage closet behind the bar. I could tell she was nervous and concerned.

"Phoenix, did Seymour do this to you?"

I couldn't look her in the eye without betraying my anger. I just nodded my head and studied my shoes. Where the men here really that turned on by clear heels? At least the pair I'd been forced to wear didn't light up like some of the dancers' shoes. I really wanted to take some of my frustration out on some of the stupid men I would be seeing out at the bar tonight.

"What happened?" Kendra asked again.

"I don't want to talk about it," I whispered.

"Okay, but you need to promise me you'll be careful. There are some really dangerous things that can happen to a girl around here. Don't let Seymour get too close to you, okay?" she pleaded with me.

"I promise I will do my best to stay safe. You have to promise me the same thing," I said, looking Kendra in eye.

Kendra wouldn't look me in the eye. She suddenly seemed to find her fingernails very fascinating. She mumbled out a quick promise before escaping back to the bar. Our conversation was stilted and awkward for the rest of the nigh and our tips were dismal.

Edward was still awake when I knocked on his door. His eyes narrowed in fury when he saw my ripped shirt and the prominent bruise on my neck.

"I will kill that bastard," he growled, heading for the door. I think he would have hunted Seymour down and killed him if I hadn't collapsed onto his floor crying.

The emotions I'd been holding back all night burst forth in a stream of sobs and gasps. I hated crying, especially in front of other people, but it was different with Edward. His strong arms around me made it feel safe for me to be vulnerable. I knew he wouldn't think I was weak. He rocked me back and forth murmuring comforting words until I was calm enough to talk.

"What happened love?"

"Seymour got pissed off when I wouldn't let him near my no-no places. He pinned me down but I broke his nose before anything could happen. I was so scared," I said, not looking Edward in the eye. I hadn't been raped, but I'd certainly been violated. I didn't realize I was shivering until Edward tucked me under his blankets.

"You're safe now love. What did Seymour do when you broke his nose?"

"He threw me back down by my hair. I thought he was going to kill me; he just looked so furious. His phone rang before he could do anything else. It probably saved my life. He answered and then when he was done it was like he was a different person. He was so calm and apologetic. I wonder how many women he's fooled with his sorry act? We have to stop him Edward. Putting trash like him in jail is why I became a cop. It just felt so wrong to let him get away with what he did," I admitted.

"He won't be getting away with it much longer," Edward promised me. "We're going to get the evidence we need and we'll shut him down permanently. I swear to you he will pay; one way or another. We should call Emmett for an update."

I decided to have a shower while Edward called Emmett. I needed the hot water to scrub away the grime of last night and relax my tense muscles. I studied the bruise on my neck while I waited for the water to warm up. It was dark purple and there was no mistaking it for anything other than a bite mark. I took off my torn shirt and my bra. I found some lighter bruises on my breasts that made me feel sick to my stomach. How had I let someone hurt me like this?

I stepped under the hot spray and tried to relax. I couldn't keep my mind from repeating what had happened. All of the what-ifs and should-haves swirled around my brain. I could feel the anger building again. I lashed out with my fist to release some of my rage.

"Fuck, fuck, fuckity, shit, fuck!" I yelled when my hand connected with the wall.

Edward was at my side before I was finished cursing. He cradled my hand in his to examine the damage I'd inflicted.

"How did this happen Bella?"

"I punched the wall," I admitted sheepishly. "I'm just so angry at myself for letting Seymour get to me like that!"

"Look at me," Edward said, putting a finger under my chin. "This wasn't your fault. Seymour is a rotten bastard. Bella, you did what you could to protect yourself without blowing our cover. You did nothing wrong."

I knew in my head he was right. It would just take my heart a couple of days to catch up and agree with the logic of his argument. I tucked my head under his chin and held him close.

"I know. It's just a lot for me to process. I'm not used to feeling helpless. I've spent so much of my life proving that I'm just as strong as my brother; being vulnerable like that is kind of fucking with my head. I'm glad you're here with me," I said.

Edward gently washed my hair and soaped me up. I saw his eyes darken with emotion when he took in the bruises on my breasts. I hung my head a little in reaction to his scrutiny. He gently forced me to look back up at him and made me repeat after him several times that what happened wasn't my fault. Somewhere in between Edward carefully brushing my hair and Edward tucking me into his bed I realized I had fallen in love with him.

Fuck.

EPOV

I was in love with Bella. It was the strength of my reaction to Seymour's attack that had made me realize the true depth of my affection for my partner. I wanted to tell her that I love her. I wanted to hire a skywriter to let the whole city know who had captured my heart. But I couldn't. We had to focus on the case at hand.

It had been five days since Bella had appeared bruised and broken at my door. The physical bruises were fading but I knew the emotional damage could take a while to heal. I had faith that my Bella was strong enough to face anything life could throw at her. I would be there for her every step of the way.

There was a new development in our case that had Bella's eyes shadowed with worry these days. Kendra had not shown up for her last three shifts at the Drunk Tank. Seymour seemed to think nothing of it; he said girls came and went all the time in his business. Jasper had stopped by Kendra's house to see if he could find any information. Her mom told him that Kendra was teaching English abroad. None of the organizations that arranged teaching abroad had heard of Kendra under her Drunk Tank alias or her real name.

Emmett, Bella, Jasper and I were currently sitting around my small table discussing the case. Jasper had brought us homemade cookies sent by my mother. Bella looked adorably innocent dipping her cookies in chocolate milk.

"We finally got a hit on three of the passports you found in Seymour's office. Three girls got on a plane to Singapore from LAX using the fakes. It took us a couple of days to get the surveillance from the airport," Emmett said, passing some still photos across the table to me.

My heart sank when I recognized Kendra in one of the photos. She was wearing a wig and sunglasses, but I could tell it was her. The photos were sharp enough to document the look of fear on Kendra's face. Bella fought to maintain her composure when she saw the pictures.

"That's her, in the middle," Bella said quietly, pointing to Kendra.

"We've alerted Interpol to the situation. They're going to try to coordinate with the local police in Singapore to find these women. Interpol is very good at what they do Bells. They'll find your friend," Jasper assured Bella.

"I know Jasper. I'm just worried about what's happening to her while we're waiting for the locals to find her. It's so frustrating to be sitting here doing nothing!" Bella exclaimed.

Emmett, Jasper and I did our best to cheer Bella up by reminiscing about our days at the Academy. Emmett and I had been roommates, and he was quite the prankster. From Jell-o in the water fountains to duct taping people to their beds, Emmett had done it all. He was truly the master of the practical joke, and he had played many a joke on me.

"You should have seen the look on his face Bella, it was a Kodak moment!" I laughed, recalling how I had finally gotten my revenge. "His hands were stuck in his hair, so we had to cut them out. We still hadn't figured out how to get the glue off his hands when Commandant Lassard decided to make an inspection of his new recruits. Emmett had to salute him with hairy palms!"

"I knew that was you!" Emmett roared with laughter. "Commandant Lassard actually suggested counselling for my 'issues.'"

I could tell Bella was feeling better by the time Jasper and Emmett had to leave. She seemed relaxed, and there was a spark in her eye that had been missing for several days. I was relieved to see that she was healing. She leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss.

"Thanks," she said, leaning her head onto my shoulder.

"For what?" I asked.

"For making me feel better. You've been so patient with me. I'm glad we met," she answered.

"I'm glad we met too," I told her honestly.

I don't know who started kissing whom first. Our lips and tongues were just suddenly moving together. It was passionate without feeling rushed. It was a patient, slow build that radiated through all of my limbs, awakening my need to be physically close to the woman I loved.

I let Bella lead us over to my bed. She pulled my shirt off and unbuckled my belt. She placed gentle kisses over my chest as she undid the button and zipper of my jeans. I gasped as she bit down on my nipple and pulled my pants and boxers down over my hips. She tenderly pushed me down onto the bed and kissed me once on the lips.

Bella undid the buttons on her shirt slowly, torturously revealing her flesh to me a tiny bit at a time. She threw off her shirt and let her skirt drop to the ground in a puddle around her feet. She removed her bra and panties and settled herself down onto my lap. The heat coming from her core so close to my arousal made my erection twitch, straining to be closer to her delicious warmth.

I laid her down on my bed and kissed my way over her throat and across her collarbones. I paused to show my reverence for each pertly tipped breast. She was moaning my name and gently thrusting her hips, seeking the friction she needed to complete her pleasure. I blazed a trail with my tongue down her navel to her sex. I gently parted her folds and circled her clit with my tongue. She moaned my name and I moaned into her pussy.

"I fucking love to hear you say my name like that," I told her, smiling devilishly up at her from my comfortable position between her legs.

I continued flicking my tongue over her clit while I pumped into her with two fingers. It didn't take long for her to come, clutching at my hair and thrusting her hips up into my face. I gently eased her down from her orgasm and looked up at her smiling face. I looked her in the eye as I licked her essence from my fingers.

She sat up and kissed me hard, pushing me back down onto the bed. She wrapped one of her tiny hands around my shaft and it felt incredible. She guided me to her entrance and my eyes nearly crossed in ecstasy as I entered her for the first time. I had to clutch her hips and keep her still to maintain my self-control. I never wanted to leave her body.

We moved slowly together at first, taking our time to establish a rhythm. She had one hand splayed out on my chest for balance and the other was tucked firmly in mine, resting on her hip. Our movements gradually built up to a furious pace. Bella's eyes closed and her head fell back, letting me know she was close to her orgasm. My balls were tightening, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer inside my goddess. I rubbed delicate circles around Bella's clit with my thumb.

She came again, moaning my name, clenching her inner walls around my cock. The tight warmth grasping my erection felt like heaven. I gasped as my own release washed over me. I could feel waves of pleasure spreading languidly through my entire body. I chanted Bella's name over and over, a mantra to my bliss.

"Thank you," I said, tucking a sweaty, naked Bella into my side.

"For what?" she asked.

"For making me feel better," I replied with a smile. "I'm really glad we met."

"Me too," Bella giggled sleepily.

We fell asleep in a tangle of limbs, gathering our strength for the battle to come.

* * *

**Whew, that was a bit of a rollercoaster, no?**


	11. Chapter 10

**As always, Twilight is not mine. I'm just uncockblocking poor Edward and Bella so their dangly bits don't fall off.**

**Musical inspiration for this chapter is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album It's Blitz!**

**

* * *

**BPOV

I awoke naked and satisfied next to an equally naked Edward. Judging from the smirk on his face he was equally satisfied as well. We had already made love twice, and I was ready to go again. I don't think such a thing as too much Edward could possibly exist.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"A little after four," he replied, planting a kiss on my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Empty," I replied.

"Empty?" he asked, concerned.

"Yup. I'm empty right here," I said, placing his hand over my mound. "Do you think you could help me fill that void?"

Edward laughed and leaned in to kiss me. It didn't take long for our tongues to engage in a battle for control. It didn't really matter who won the battle; we both won the war. I sometimes won twice. I tangled my fingers through Edward's hair, gently massaging his scalp as we kissed. He moaned into my mouth and the sound of it travelled straight to my core. I could feel my arousal swelling and opening for Edward like a flower to the sun.

I pushed Edward's shoulders until he was lying flat on his back. I trailed kisses from his strong jaw down to his defined chest. I swirled my tongue down his torso in random patterns. His skin was tangy and masculine; he tasted just as delicious as he smelled. He took in a sharp breath as I ran my tongue over the tip of his erection. I looked up at him and winked as I took his cock into my mouth.

"Fuck, Bella, love, shit," he rambled incoherently as I sucked him into the back of my throat.

Before I had time to figure out what was happening Edward had me pinned underneath him. I was impressed that he was able to pin me so efficiently. He mimicked my previous actions on his body, running his tongue over my chest. He sucked one of my nipples into his mouth, flicking it rapidly with his tongue. I cursed loudly as his fingers found their way to my arousal. I was warm and slick for him, and his fingers found their way surely over the territory he had claimed as his own.

Edward positioned himself at my entrance. He kissed the tip of my nose and smiled as he eased himself into my body slowly, filling me inch by inch. The intensity of having him inside of me left me trembling in anticipation of my release. I gripped his biceps tightly and wrapped my legs around his waist. He paused for a moment to whisper his love for me before pulling out to thrust into me again.

I never wanted to be apart from Edward again. He was plunging deep and fast and I could feel every inch of him driving my need. The intensity of the sensations Edward was causing were pushing me closer and closer to my peak. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as my lust spiralled out of control and I came hard.

"Fuck, Edward!" I yelled as waves of pleasure crested over me, pulling me under.

Edward's arms tightened around me and he moaned my name. He buried his head in my shoulder as he shuddered his release into me. He rested his forehead on mine and we smiled at one another, sweaty and gasping for air. I nearly whimpered at the void I felt when he withdrew from my body.

We showered as quickly as two lusty people who had recently discovered one another's bodies could. I snuck across the hall wearing one of his shirts to get dressed at my place. I noted wryly that tonight's schedule at the Drunk Tank required the catholic schoolgirl outfit I'd worn the first time Edward and I had met. I added knee socks and pigtails to the outfit this time. I decided to go with the innocent white cotton bra and panty set.

Edward was just setting our grilled cheese sandwiches down on the table when I re-entered his apartment. His eyes took on a predatory gleam when he saw my outfit. He stalked over to me and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me to the couch and laying me across his lap.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked. "We're going to be late if we don't get moving!"

"Do you know what that outfit did to me when I first saw you wear it?" he asked, pulling my skirt up and groaning. "I wanted to bend you over my lap like this and spank you for being such a naughty girl." Edward gently swatted my rear twice before pushing me up to my feet. "But you're right Bella, we need to get going."

"You're a dirty twat-tease Masen," I said, sitting down to eat my dinner.

"And you're a cocktease, especially in those white knickers. We're perfectly suited to one another," Edward responded with a wink, digging into his own dinner.

We made our way to the club separately after our ritual kiss goodbye at the door to Edward's apartment. I spent most of my evening training Kendra's replacement. I could tell Sydney was going to be popular with the regulars. She flirted like a pro and 'accidentally' spilled drinks on herself on a regular basis. She certainly made the Drunk Tank live up to its reputation as being a titty bar.

Seymour pulled me aside at the end of the night.

"Phoenix, we're going to be shutting down for a couple of days at the end of the week. The fire marshal came to inspect us and we have to do some renovations to get ourselves up to code before the end of the month or he'll shut us down. You'll still get your full pay for the days we're closed. I'm going to need to you to take an inventory of the bar by Friday night, okay?"

"Sure," I responded. "Do you need me to pack everything away in the stock room too?"

"No, I'll bring in some drop cloths to cover everything up. We won't really be doing anything to the bar area. I just want to make sure the contractors aren't stealing any booze while they're working," Seymour said. He brushed his hand over the faint remnants of my bite mark could still be seen. I had to work hard to hide a flinch of revulsion.

"I can't express to you how sorry I am to have gotten so rough with you," he said, changing the subject. "I swear it will never happen again baby. Can we go out to dinner tomorrow? I promise I won't touch you. I miss your company; the way you laugh and joke around with me."

"I don't know," I hesitated.

"Please baby," he pleaded. "We can even bring along some other people if you'd like. Madison and her husband are great people, lots of fun. We could even invite Cullen to come with us. Think of him as your own personal bodyguard."

I really hated the idea of going anywhere with Seymour, but I knew I had to keep him close to continue with the case. I reluctantly agreed to have a group outing for dinner the following evening. Edward was not thrilled when I told him the plan before we tucked ourselves back into bed.

"I don't trust him Bella," he argued.

"I don't trust him either, but we have to keep him from getting suspicious. Besides, you'll be with us the whole time," I reassured him.

"I know you're right, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Did Seymour tell you he's shutting down the club for a week this Friday?"

"Yeah, but he told me it would only be for a couple of days. Something about the fire marshal? We'll have to ask Emmett to see if he was really inspected. It sounds really fishy to me. Seymour wants me to take inventory of the bar on Friday, so maybe I'll get a chance to head backstage," I replied.

"Just be careful Bella," Edward warned, his protective nature coming to the forefront. "We should try sneaking in when the Tank's closed. We'll probably be able to find out a lot more with fewer people around."

Edward and I both rested uneasily that day. Edward finally fell asleep after yet another round of lovemaking. I however stayed awake watching over him while he slept. On one hand I couldn't wait for this case to be over so that I could tell Edward how I really felt. We could explore our relationship without the pressures of maintaining our cover. On the other hand I never wanted this case to end. I loved how much time Edward and I could spend together. I knew once this case was over we'd be moving on to other cases. Edward specialized in long-term cases like this one. Could I really spend six month apart from Edward? I never wanted to find out.

The hours dragged by until it was time to get ready to go. I left Edward sleeping in his bed to go shower at my place. I placed a note on his pillow:

_"Roses are red;_

_Seymour's a bastard._

_My body is an instrument;_

_You have it mastered."_

Dinner was awkward. Madison and her husband Reg were nice people. Seymour was an ass. As we were perusing the menu he put his hand on my thigh and inched it higher until I placed it back on the table. Then he put his arm around the back of my chair and started playing with my hair. He ordered my meal for me without asking for my input. He kept on making comments about how much he missed kissing me and how wonderful it felt to hold me. He couldn't have done a better job marking his territory if he had pissed on my leg. I was relieved when dinner was over and I could escape back to my apartment for a few hours before starting work.

EPOV

I was livid. Watching Seymour put his hands all over my Bella had been infuriating. I had wanted rip his hands off and beat him with them. Violent fantasies of castrating him with my steak knife had helped to keep me in my seat.

I was waiting on Bella's bed for her to emerge from her shower, losing the battle with my inner caveman. I wanted nothing more than to rip open the bathroom door and claim what was mine. I took deep breaths to calm my adrenaline. I wanted to make sweet, reassuring love with Bella. She deserved so much better than to be taken like the animal I felt like in that moment. I was slowly coming down from my violent high when Bella emerged from the bathroom. Naked.

I was across the room, hauling her into my arms before she could even blink. I kissed her with all the pent-up emotion I had tried to bury. The fear of losing her and the hatred of seeing another man touch her. The love I felt growing for her. All that I had was laid bare for her in that kiss. She gave me everything she was in return.

I pulled her over to the couch and laid her gently upon it. I kissed my way frantically over her breasts, suckling and teasing each one in turn. I could feel her thrusting her hips into my denim covered crotch. I worked my mouth down her abdomen, swirling my tongue into her navel before gently nipping at the soft curve of her tummy.

Her legs were parted for me and I paused for a moment to inhale her exhilarating scent before licking and nibbling my way around her outer lips. I moaned as my tongue worked its way into her moist depths. Her arousal was a thick honeyed wine on my tongue, increasing the force of my need for her. I swirled my tongue around her clit before taking it between my lips to nip and suck at her tiny pearl. She moaned my name and tugged on my hair. Bella began thrusting her hips up to meet the strokes of my tongue and I knew she was close. I steadied her hips and increased the pressure of my suckling. She came loudly, bucking against my face and hands. I let her down gently before releasing her hips.

I studied Bella as I stood up to tear off my clothes. She was sweaty and flushed, breathing erratically in the aftermath of her orgasm. She had never looked more beautiful. I kissed her again, frantic and hungry.

I sat down on the couch and positioned Bella so she was straddling my lap, facing away from me. She took hold of my erection and eased herself down. I groaned and buried my nose in her glorious hair. Her hair was still wet from her shower and smelled strongly of strawberries and freesia. I threaded my fingers through her soft strands and pulled her head back so it was resting on my shoulder. From this position I could see her breasts bounce in time with my eager thrusts.

"Mine," I growled into her ear, pinching her nipples roughly.

"Yes," she hissed, moving her hips faster over mine. "All yours."

I knew I couldn't hold back much longer. I reached down and gently pinched her clit before rubbing circles around it.

"Mine," I growled again, gently taking her earlobe between my teeth.

"Yours," she moaned over and over. I could feel her inner walls beginning to flutter around my cock. I grunted and thrust into her faster. I pulled her body closer to mine to change the angle of my penetration. The sensitive underside of my erection was now rubbing against her G-spot. She screamed and sobbed her release and I swear I saw actual stars as I spilled myself into her. We stayed joined together for a long while after the intensity of our coupling.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, kissing an adorable constellation of freckles I'd found on the back of her shoulder.

I once again found myself pinned to the floor with an angry Swan hovering over me.

"What the fuck are you apologizing for?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry for treating you like an animal. I got so jealous seeing you with Seymour that I felt the need to claim you."

"Edward that was the most intense sexual experience of my life. I was enjoying myself immensely until you felt the need to apologize. You can claim me like that anytime," she responded. Her eyes were sincere.

"In that case," I said, amazed at how accepting Bella was of every facet and flaw I had. "Please accept my apology for apologizing. It was the most amazing sexual experience I've ever had too.

"A poem for the lady:

_"Roses are red;_

_You're more beautiful than Venus._

_It feels so amazing,_

_When you ride my penis."_

Bella laughed and I knew I was forgiven. Especially when she recited a poem back to me:

_"Roses are red;_

_Don't be such a douche._

_You're the only man,_

_Who will ever touch my cooch."_

**********************************************************************************************************************

It was Saturday. The club was closed and Bella and I were going to break in. I was hoping we would find something that would help us wrap up this case. I hated having to hide our relationship. I wanted nothing more than to introduce her to my parents. Carlisle and Esme would love her. I wanted to scale back my undercover work so I could spend more time with Bella. I wanted to see where our relationship might lead.

I couldn't help but fantasize a little about Saturday mornings spent cuddling with Bella in our bed. Maybe someday we would have children who would bounce into our room and declare our affection for one another to be, 'gross,' and, 'icky.' We would tease our children by kissing more before moving to the kitchen to make a family brunch. Shit, I needed to get my head in the game.

Our plan was simple. We would pick a lock and walk right in. Emmett had taken care of having the alarm company disable the alarms for us. Bella would search the backstage area while I searched Seymour's office again. She hadn't had an opportunity to snoop around while doing the inventory yesterday. Seymour had watched her every move. Bella and I would be going in unarmed in case we got caught. It's really hard to bluff your way innocently out of a situation when you're found with a gun.

I stood watch as Bella picked the lock at the club with nothing more than a nail file and a bobby pin. Watching her B and E skills was kind of a turn on.

"Growing up with a brother like Emmett provides opportunities to learn many new and exciting skills," Bella joked quietly before opening the door.

Bella texted Emmett to let him know we were going in. He would have this building surrounded with SWAT if he didn't hear from us within a half an hour. We silently crept into the building. Bella gestured to let me know she was headed for the backstage area. I nodded and made my way to the back office.

The halls were dim and I used a maglite to light my way. It took me a minute to disarm the lock on Seymour's office door. I quickly stuck my head around the door to make sure no one was in the room before entering. I quietly closed the door behind me and began my search. I checked the false book fronts again. This time there was a fresh batch of phony passports as well as a wad of cash and a brick of what appeared to be cocaine. I quickly took pictures and put the items back in their places.

I found a list of phone numbers in Seymour's filing cabinet that I quickly copied into my phone's contact list. Most of the documents in the filing cabinet were in Russian. I took pictures of them as best as I could. We would have to come back for those another day if they proved to be useful.

I was stealthily leaving Seymour's office when I something hit me on the back of the head. I saw a flash of stars and stumbled when something pulled me into one of the private rooms along the hallway. I squinted when the lights were suddenly flicked on.

"Mr. Cullen, what are you doing here?" Seymour's voice boomed through the silence. He was flanked on either side by large men. This did not look good. I decided to keep my mouth shut. I just shook my head and kept quiet.

"I asked you a question," Seymour yelled, backhanding me across the face. His ring bit into the flesh around my eye. I grunted, but otherwise remained silent.

Seymour and his cronies kept pummelling me for answers. I did my best to stay silent, but I did cry out a few times under particularly vicious blows. I kept telling myself to be strong. If I could hold out long enough for Emmett to arrive, Bella would be safe. That was my only goal. I needed to keep her safe. I couldn't let these creeps find her. It was my love for Bella that helped me hang on.

I had to work hard to keep my face neutral when another large man brought Bella into the room and threw her down on the ground next to me.

"I found this one snooping around the club," he said.

"Phoenix, what the hell are you doing here?" Seymour asked, shocked to see her.

"I couldn't find my bank card this morning when I went to the grocery store. It isn't anywhere in my apartment, so I came here to look for it. I was hoping you'd be here to help me look. The door was unlocked, but everything was dark and I couldn't find you," Bella replied demurely.

"I want to believe you baby, but it doesn't look good. We just caught this guy snooping around in my office and now Ernie finds you sneaking around the club. I just don't know what to think," Seymour said, rubbing his chin. I could see he wanted to believe her.

"I swear to you, I had no idea Anthony was here," Bella protested.

Bella leaned in and gave Seymour a passionate kiss. His hands groped her ass freely as he ground himself into her. I would gladly go back to being beaten if it meant not seeing Seymour paw at my Bella.

"I don't know," he hesitated, cocking his head to one side.

"Alright, I lied," Bella admitted. "I didn't lose my bank card. I came here to see you. I realized at dinner the other night just how much I miss spending time with you. I want us to try again because I love you."

Seymour's eyes widened considerably at her declaration. So did my right eye, as the left was swollen shut.

"Really baby? Even after seeing all this?" he asked, gesturing to my beaten and bloody form. Seymour seemed sceptical about her declaration.

"Seymour, I'm not as innocent as I seem. My dad wasn't just a logger; he was an enforcer for the Hell's Angels. He taught me how to bring a man to his knees with one punch and how to shoot a gun, all before the age of 16. This is just part of the world I grew up in," she proclaimed. I was impressed at how quickly she thought on her feet. Seymour's face relaxed into an amazed grin. He was buying her story.

"Okay baby, I believe you. Why don't you go wait outside with Ernie while I finish taking care of business in here?" he suggested.

"No, it's okay. I love you and wherever you go, I go," Bella declared.

Seymour put his arm around her and tried to pull her out of the room with him. The man named Ernie cocked his gun towards me. I knew the end had come for me but I couldn't help but be relieved that Bella was going to be able to walk away from this. I trusted that Emmett would be here in time to save her. I only wished I could have said goodbye to my parents and my sister. They would grieve for me, but they had one another. I trusted they would take care of Bella. My only regret as I faced my death was that I had never told Bella how much I loved her.

"Wait," Bella called out, taking the gun from Ernie. "Let me do it."

Seymour eyed her warily. "You don't have to do that for me baby," he said.

"I know, but what better way to prove to you that you can trust me?" she asked.

"Are you sure?" he questioned.

"Your enemies are my enemies," she shrugged. "I want you to know just how committed I am to making us work. Please let me do it baby?"

I knew what Bella was doing and I was grateful. I didn't look at the gun in her hands. I looked into her determined face. She was holding herself together well. I had never been more proud of my Bella. I pulled myself up to my knees and focused all my love into my gaze. I wanted Bella to know that I understood and forgave her. I was so proud of her for giving me this gift; I knew it would haunt her forever.

I was sprawled out on the ground before my ears registered the sound of the gunshot. I didn't scream at the sudden pain I felt in my chest. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was Bella being dragged out of the room by Seymour.

* * *

**I love writing pervy Roses Are Red poems. We do it all the time at work...let's just say last night there was an angry dragon involved ;)**

**I will post the next chapter as soon as I finish writing it. Inventory is tomorrow, so my brain will be mush. Hope to have the next chapter up by the weekend at the latest. Remember that I AM a fan of the HEA.  
**

**Please don't hurt me!  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**As always, I don't own Twilight. Twilight owns me.**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews and love. Twifanficfreak has made a thread for this little story over on Twilighted. If inspired I might just pop by to leave a spoiler in the form of a perverted Roses Are Red poem.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

How the hell had it come down to this?

The club had been empty, just as Emmett had promised. The security alarm company had told him that no one was at the Drunk Tank. Edward and I had broken in easily enough. We split up to search, hoping to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I was emerging from the backstage area when a large hand clamped down on my shoulder.

"What is a nice little girl like you doing in a place like this?" a large man asked, turning me to face him.

"I was just looking for something," I said, not wanting to give anything away. I hoped Edward was hiding somewhere safe.

"The only thing you'll find here is trouble," he threatened. If the situation wasn't so serious I might have laughed at him for being such a cliché. He pulled me down the hallway towards the private rooms. I was preparing to defend myself from him when he shoved me roughly into one of the rooms. I gasped as I fell to the ground next to Edward. He had clearly been beaten. I focused my gaze on Seymour, who was standing over Edward and me, wiping his bloody knuckles on a towel.

"I found this one snooping around the club," the large thug said.

"Phoenix, what the hell are you doing here?" Seymour asked. He seemed both shocked and suspicious to see me.

"I couldn't find my bank card this morning when I went to the grocery store. It isn't anywhere in my apartment, so I came here to look for it. I was hoping you'd be here to help me look. The door was unlocked, but everything was dark and I couldn't find you," I said lowering my head coyly.

"I want to believe you baby, but it doesn't look good. We just caught this guy snooping around in my office and now Ernie finds you sneaking around the club. I just don't know what to think," Seymour said. His eyes were feasting on my cleavage. I needed to work his lust to my advantage.

"I swear to you, I had no idea Anthony was here," I exclaimed, gesturing emphatically enough for my breasts to jiggle.

I pulled myself up to my knees and crawled over to Seymour. I took his proffered hand and slowly stood up, rubbing my breasts up his body as I went. I ran my nose up his throat and planted a kiss on his waiting mouth. Seymour deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. He grabbed my ass with both hands and pulled me onto his erection. I wanted to rip his fucking balls off, but I had to sell him what he wanted to believe. Edward's life depended on it. I pulled back and looked into Seymour's eyes. He still looked conflicted.

"I don't know," he hesitated, cocking his head to one side. It was time to raise the stakes.

"Alright, I lied," I admitted, lowering both my eyes and my voice. "I didn't lose my bank card. I came here to see you. I realized at dinner the other night just how much I miss spending time with you. I want us to try again because I love you." I drew circles on his chest with my fingers and chewed on my bottom lip, trying to look innocent and sheepish.

"Really baby? Even after seeing all this?" he asked, gesturing to Edward. I quickly glanced over at Edward, not wanting to focus on his face. If I looked at him too long I wouldn't be able to go through with this farce.

"Seymour, I'm not as innocent as I seem. My dad wasn't just a logger; he was an enforcer for the Hell's Angels. He taught me how to bring a man to his knees with one punch and how to shoot a gun, all before the age of 16. This is just part of the world I grew up in," I confessed. I pressed my breasts into his chest and grabbed his ass to distract him. I needed to keep him off balance to buy my story. The more I said, the less he was likely to believe me.

"Okay baby, I believe you. Why don't you go wait outside with Ernie while I finish taking care of business in here?" he suggested.

"No, it's okay. I love you and wherever you go, I go," I said boldly. I couldn't leave Edward alone in here.

Seymour changed tactics and tried pulling me out of the room. I froze when I heard Ernie cocking a gun. There was no way in hell that motherfucker was going to shoot my Edward. I turned without even thinking about my next move and pulled the gun away from a shocked Ernie.

"Wait," I cried. "Let me do it."

Seymour eyed me warily. "You don't have to do that for me baby," he said. I could see the wheels turning over and over in his mind. I had to fix this fast, otherwise Edward and I would both be dead.

"I know, but what better way to prove to you that you can trust me?" I asked.

My hands shook slightly as I aimed my weapon at Edward. Could I really do this? I knew Ernie would have shot him through the head, killing him instantly. I would have to aim carefully to miss his heart and pray that Emmett arrived in time to save him. Edward pulled himself up to his knees in front of me, letting me know with his eyes that he understood my decision. One of his eyes was bruised and swollen shut, but the other eye looked at me with such calm and trust. My finger twitched on the trigger.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when your death is at hand. No one ever tells you about the life that flashes before your eyes when someone else's life is in your hands. Memories assaulted me, blazing behind my eyes. I could see the way his eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in to kiss me for the first time. His lips had been so gentle and tender moving against mine. I could see the fire and passion in his eyes as he made love to me the first time, his body moving in time with mine. I could hear him moaning my name as he reached his completion. I could feel his strong hands running through my hair as we lay cuddled together afterwards.

My entire body rebelled against what I was about to do. I was going to shoot the man I loved more than life itself. There was no guarantee he would survive so we could live out our happily ever after. I should have told him that I loved him when I had the chance.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded a voice from behind me. I knew our time had run out. There was no cavalry coming to save the day. Emmett wasn't going to be here in time to prevent this horror from unfolding.

"I just wanted to make him suffer a little. Shooting him right away would have been too easy for him," I replied. I was amazed at how strong I managed to sound.

I wished that I could kiss him one last time, but I knew that would give me away. I wanted to crawl into his arms and have him tell me it would be okay, but I couldn't. He would never forgive me if his sacrifice didn't save me.

I couldn't look away from him as I readied myself to take the shot. I took a deep breath to steady myself and pulled the trigger. He collapsed with a groan when the bullet made contact with his flesh. Blood blossomed from the fresh wound on his chest. The gun fell from my fingers. I noticed blood flowing from a fresh cut on my hand. My body froze and I couldn't look away. My brain was telling me to move, but I was going into shock.

The sound of the gunshot and his groan of pain would ring in my ears for the rest of my life. I would forever be haunted by the sight of his blood quickly pooling under his limp body. I deserved every moment of torment; every nightmare that was to come my way. This was all my fault.

I could feel Seymour wrap his arm around me from behind. Warm breath on my neck indicated he was talking to me but I couldn't register the words. My ears were still ringing from the sound of the gunshot. I knew it was a sound I would hear in my nightmares for years to come. All I could do was stare in horror at what I had done.

Seymour pulled me into the hallway and shut the door, leaving Edward bleeding and alone on the floor. My ears finally registered that he was yelling at me to follow him. I had no idea where he wanted to take me, but I knew I had to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for Emmett.

"I'm going to be sick," I declared breaking out of his grasp.

I ran to the bathroom and made it to the bowl just in time to vomit. I knew time was very limited, so I had my phone out to text Emmett before I was even finished on my knees. My message was brief:

'Officer down at Tank. Follow my SIM card after. B.'

I pulled the SIM card out of my phone and stuck it into the small pocket in the back strap of my bra before turning my phone off and putting it back in my pocket. I rinsed my hand off and wrapped a clean paper towel over the cut I'd received from the sliding action of the gun. The bleeding was slowing down. I had no time to pause and appreciate the irony of having blood on my hands. I rushed back to Seymour's side and apologized.

"Sorry, blood makes me a little nauseous," I said, holding my hand up.

"It's okay baby," he said, pulling into his side. "We need to get going."

He took me out of the club and pushed me lightly towards the car waiting at the curb. Seymour opened the door for me. I felt a slight pinch on the side of my neck as I was getting into the car. I tried to lift my hand to see what was on my neck, but my arm was suddenly too heavy to lift. Fuck this was not go...

*********************************************************************************************************************************

I awoke groggily with no concept of how much time had passed. I squinted against the light coming from the tiny window to my right. I tried to cover my eyes with my hands, but realized they were tied together. I took in my surroundings and realized I was on what appeared to be a private jet. I could hear the slight roar of the engines, so I knew we were in the air somewhere.

"Bella! I'm so glad to see you're awake," Seymour boomed as he made his way down the aisle towards my seat.

I knew from the triumphant gleam in his eye that I was thoroughly fucked. I decided to keep quiet as long as I could to see just how much information he would give away now that he felt like he was home-free. He sat down next to me and tenderly caressed my cheek before pinching it painfully between his fingers. He forced me to look at him.

"Confused baby?" he asked. "I know all about you and your partner. I've got a few guys tucked away at SPD. I have to say, you really helped me out by shooting him. I know you're probably hoping someone would ride in and save him before he bled to death, but I had my guys take care of that possibility. We burned the Tank down before we left."

Seymour laughed at my anguish and brutally attacked my mouth with his. I pulled away and head butted his nose. It immediately spurted blood and he cursed loudly. I was too dazed at his revelation to be satisfied by breaking his nose again. This time he didn't hesitate to backhand me across the face in retaliation. I slumped over with the blow and he pulled me up to sit on his lap.

"What's the matter baby? I thought you loved me," he sneered before biting down on my earlobe. Tears sprung to my eyes from the pain but I didn't give him the pleasure of hearing me cry out. He ripped my shirt open and pinched my breasts brutally. I drove one of my elbows as hard as I could into his side and struggled out of his grasp. I knew there would be no escape on the plane, but I was beyond coherent thought.

I made it halfway to the front of the plane before I was struck with a large jolt. My entire body froze mid-step and I fell forward, unable to use my arms to break my fall. I landed heavily on my left shoulder, unable to move away from the electrical current running through me. The pain was excruciating but I couldn't work my vocal chords up to a scream.

Seymour waved a taser in front of my face before hauling my trembling body back into a seat. He used my shirt to wipe the drool that had been running down my chin.

"Try anything like that again and I'll shock you," he snarled, preparing a syringe of what I could only guess would be another dose of sedative. "You're mine now bitch," he gloated, injecting my arm.

I fought hard to stay awake, but it was futile. My mind and body were too eager for the respite of unconsciousness to fight the drugs. My last thoughts before passing out again were with Edward.

Emmett POV

I was preparing a tactical team with Jasper when I got the text from Bella's phone. It had been 31 minutes since I'd received the first text from Bella telling me she and Edward were entering the club. My stomach had been tying itself into knots knowing my sister was putting herself in danger. Jasper had tried reassuring me, but he could barely keep his own worry contained. My heart dropped to the floor when I read the new message.

"We have to move out now! We have an officer down and another possibly being abducted," I bellowed to the assembled team. We were all wearing our protective gear and readying our weapons. As we moved out to our vehicles Jasper called for an ambulance to wait a block away from the club. We couldn't send in an EMT until we had secured the building. It killed me to know that either my sister or one of my good friends was dying or dead and we couldn't let anyone in to save them yet.

I called Rosalie from the van.

"Hey sweetheart. How are you and the baby doing?" I asked. I couldn't tell her what was happening, but I needed to hear her voice.

"We're fine. What's wrong with you?" she demanded. My Rose knew me better than anyone and could tell I was upset. She didn't tolerate any bullshit.

"I'm not sure yet Rosie. Jasper and I are on our way to find out. I just needed to hear your voice. I'm going to ask Jasper to have Alice come over okay? I don't like the idea of you being alone right now," I said. Rosalie and Alice had grown close over the past couple of weeks. They could commiserate with one another over the difficulties of being officer's wives.

"Is it Bella?" she asked, worry in her voice.

"I don't know babe. I'll call you as soon as I find anything out," I promised. "I love you."

"I love you too. Come home to me," Rose replied.

"Always," I promised.

Jasper and I locked eyes. I knew what he was thinking. One of us could end up losing a sibling today. I felt so guilty for hoping that it wasn't Bella that was injured; possibly dying. I held on to the small glimmer of hope that I got the text from her phone and not Edward's. Jasper called Alice and asked her to go sit with Rose.

The first thing I noticed when we exited the van to approach the club was Bella's phone. It was lying on the ground in pieces, as though it had been run over. We cautiously surrounded the building before the three teams moved in simultaneously. Jasper had my back as I charged into the main area of the club. The area was dark and quiet. I heard the teams call out in my earphone when they had cleared rooms.

Jasper and I were checking the area behind the bar when I heard an officer call out that he'd found an officer down in one of the private rooms. Jasper grabbed my arm before I could go running off to check for myself.

"Who is it?" Jasper growled into his walkie, still restraining me.

"It's Officer Masen. He's bleeding pretty bad. He has a GSW to the chest, but he's still alive. Are we clear to call in the bus yet?" a voice questioned.

"Negative," the team leader called. "We haven't fully secured the building yet."

Knowing that a fellow officer was in dire need of medical attention motivated the rest of the team to work quickly. We soon discovered that the building was empty and we called in the EMTs. Jasper and I raced to find Edward as soon as we were cleared.

Edward looked horrible. His complexion was pale and waxy and he was covered in what looked like a lot of blood. He looked like he had taken quite a beating before he was shot. He was mercifully unconscious, and the EMTs were working over him frantically.

"His pulse is weak and thready; resps are shallow. His pressure is down to 78 palp and dropping. We need to tube him here," the younger man called out, already slipping an IV into Edward's arm. He attached a bag of blood and shoved it into my hands, ordering me to hold it aloft for him.

The older EMT was holding his hand over Edward's chest to quell the bleeding. Edward's shirt had already been cut off and I could tell the bullet had hit near his heart. The younger medic was working quickly to insert a respirator tube down Edward's throat. Once the tube was in he placed a bag over it to pump air into Edward's lungs.

We made quick work of getting him loaded onto a gurney. Jasper and I ran alongside the stretcher as Edward was rushed to the ambulance. Jasper looked torn. I could tell he wanted to ride with Edward, but he also wanted to go to Alice. I made the decision for him, climbing into the ambulance.

"Go get Alice and Rose. I'll stay with him until you guys get there," I ordered.

My brain kicked into overdrive as we raced towards the hospital. Where had happened? Where was Bella? Would Edward be able to tell me where she was when he woke up? My hands balled into useless fists as I pondered the possibilities of what had happened to my sister. I used the radio in the ambulance to call the station. I asked them to get Bella's SIM card number so we could start tracking her, as well as any footage from traffic cams in the area.

Edward was immediately whisked into surgery. I was pacing in the surgical waiting room when Jasper rushed in with Alice and Rosalie in tow. Rosalie launched herself at me, attacking me with kisses. I took a moment to breathe in the scent of Rosalie's hair before letting her go.

"You're going to go find Bella aren't you," she stated. She knew me so well. Jasper had clearly filled the girls in on the situation.

"I have to Rose. She's counting on me."

"I know," she replied. "Your fierce loyalty one of the many reasons I love you. Save Bell and then come home to me," she said, looking deep into my eyes.

"Always. I'll keep you updated. I love you both," I said, placing my hand on her belly.

I made Jasper promise to look out for Rosie and to keep me posted on Edward's condition before I hurried back to the station.

"What have we got," I demanded, sitting next to Newton.

"Bella was put into a car at the Drunk Tank and they headed east to the airport. She didn't go out on any commercial flights and there were two private flights that left within twenty minutes of each other. One is headed to Brazil, the other to Russia. The SIM card from her phone is tracking a course to Russia. I've called Interpol already. They know you're coming," he said, handing me a ticket printout for a flight to Moscow.

"Thanks man," I said, hurrying out to catch my flight. I had to go save my sister.

* * *

**It seems I'm addicted to leaving things up in the air...please don't maim me!**

**I will get the next chapter up asap.  
**


	13. Chapter 12

**As always, I don't own Twilight.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the new love of my life: Jelly Belly freezer pops.**

**

* * *

**BPOV

I knew I was dreaming. My mind was shielding itself from the horror of losing Edward before I really had the chance to have him. We'd been together sexually, but we'd never declared our love for the first time; never reached any of the important relationship milestones. We would never have our first fight as a couple. We wouldn't celebrate our one year anniversary or our first Christmas together. I would never be able to bring him home to meet Charlie.

I knew I was dreaming but I couldn't bring myself to care enough to wake up. It was pleasant where I was. Edward and I were currently strolling hand in hand down a beautiful deserted beach. He was wearing nothing but a pair of black board shorts and I was wearing his favourite naughty schoolgirl outfit. Our toes were bare, squishing through the wet sand as the waves lapped warm against our ankles. The sky was lit up in brilliant shades of ruby and lavender; the sun dipping lazily down over the water which was casting mirrored sparkles back to the sky.

"This is a beautiful sunset," I sighed happily to Edward. "Or is it sunrise?"

"The sun is definitely setting," Edward said with a chuckle. "You'd be a lot crankier if it was sunrise."

I smacked his arm in mock anger at his accusation, no matter how true it was.

"Where are we?" I mused aloud.

"We're in your happy place," Edward said, placing a kiss on my neck as he wrapped his arms around me.

We stood and watched the sun until it finally sank below the horizon. The moon was full in the sky before Edward finally broke our silence.

"You have to go back love. We can't stay here forever," he whispered.

"I know," I whispered back. "But I'm scared. I don't think I can do this without you."

"Bella, listen to me. You are the strongest, most kick-ass woman I've ever met. There is nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it. Don't give up on me now."

"Can I just stay here a little while longer?" I pleaded, reluctant to give up my dream Edward.

"C'mon," Edward said, pulling me into the water. "I have something to give you before you go back."

I found myself suddenly naked as we headed deeper into the water. I appreciated the view afforded me by Edward's similar lack of clothing. My happy place kicked some serious ass.

Edward stopped us when we were standing waist-deep in the warm water. He palmed my cheek and I nuzzled a kiss into his hand. I loved his hands with their long, agile fingers. Edward used those fingers to chart the outline of my face before settling a kiss on each eyelid. He kissed my forehead and my nose before gently kissing my jealous lips. I poured all the love and longing I had into that kiss. I could feel Edward willing me to be strong with every touch.

His hands skimmed down to my breasts. He palmed, pinched and teased my nipples until I was quivering and moaning under his ministrations. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled myself up to rub my arousal against his erection. We both gasped in pleasure as my hardened nipples brushed against his. Our eyes met and held as Edward slid into my waiting core.

Edward gently bent us over until I was laying flat on the surface of the water, my legs still wrapped around him. He stood back up and smiled down at me. I was floating and weightless, still joined to him in the most intimate way. He slid his hands around my hips and held me still for a moment.

"You are so beautiful; my own personal Aphrodite," he said, slowly beginning to slide himself in and out of me.

Our lovemaking was not rushed. I could feel my pleasure growing, swelling and ebbing like the waves pulling all around me. Edward reached between our joined bodies to draw gentle circles around my clit with his thumb. My waves of pleasure were growing closer together and I could tell Edward wouldn't last too much longer either as he began to pick up the pace of his thrusts. Edward's name fell fervently from my lips as my orgasm crested over me, crashing through me like the violence of a stormy sea.

Edward and I made our way back to the shore on shaking limbs. We collapsed into a pile of arms and legs, revelling in the afterglow of our passions.

"Not that I'm complaining, but was an orgasm really all you wanted to give me before I leave?" I asked.

"No silly Bella," he said, placing his hand over my heart. "I wanted to give you hope."

***********************************************************************************************************************************

My eyes snapped open and immediately shut against the sudden onslaught of brightness. I was lying on something hard and cool. My limbs were heavily weighted down and my throat was parched. I hurt everywhere. This was not my happy place.

"Phoenix?" a familiar voice asked.

I struggled to open my eyes again, squinting carefully this time to allow myself to adjust to the light. I vaguely registered Kendra kneeling in front of me on the concrete floor. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Kendra?" I rasped. "What the hell?"

I tried pulling myself up to sit upright. If it wasn't for Kendra's intervention I would have tipped back over onto the floor. She allowed me to rest my head on her shoulder before continuing our conversation. She provided me with a small bottle of water to sip from. I looked around as I drank. We were in a tiny room with no windows. A single light bulb illuminated the cramped space. There was a toilet and a sink in one corner, but otherwise the room was bare. I could tell without even having to try the door that we were locked in.

"How did you end up here Phoenix?" she asked when I indicated I'd had enough to drink.

"My name is actually Bella. I'm a cop," I said, letting Kendra in on my broken cover. I quickly explained the scope of the investigation to her before recounting the events that had led to my capture. She listened quietly until I was finished. She held on to me and let me cry myself out when I told her the horror of leaving Edward bleeding on the floor.

"You can't know for sure he's dead Bella," she soothed.

"But Seymour said he set the club on fire with Edward inside," I protested.

"Seymour says a lot of things that are untrue. You have to hold on to that hope to get you through," Kendra reasoned.

"What happened to you Kendra?" I asked, needing to know more about our current situation. I was already starting to make plans for our escape.

"My name is Angela Weber," she started. I smiled to encourage her to continue. "When my mom got sick things just fell apart. Her medications and treatments were so expensive. You already know how I ended up working at the Drunk Tank.

"A couple of weeks ago the bank threatened to foreclose on our house if we didn't come up with $10,000 in time. Seymour found me crying behind the bar after my shift and I told him what was going on. He offered to help me out. I wish now that I'd turned him down," she said bitterly. I squeezed her hand to show her my support.

"He asked me to start meeting with friends of his on the side," she continued, unable to look at me. "I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice. It was to keep a roof over my mother's head! I found out later that Seymour had been videotaping all of my sessions. He showed me the tapes and told me if I didn't do what he wanted he would send copies to my mom and to the police. That's how I ended up here."

"Where exactly is here?" I asked.

"We're somewhere in Brazil," she said. "I was flown out to Singapore first with a fake passport. I spent a couple of days there before they flew me down here with a different passport. The guards said we're here to be auctioned off. I'm so scared Bella. What if I never get home?"

"Look at me Angela," I said. "I promise to do everything in my power to get us out of here. How much of this building have you been able to see?"

"Not much. I was drugged when they brought me here. They bring us out once a day to shower. There are at least twenty girls being held here, but I don't think any of them speak English. I've seen dozens of guards, but I haven't been outside since we arrived. There aren't any windows in here."

Shit. Not knowing exactly what I was up against made it very hard to plan. I knew we'd never be able to escape successfully if we didn't even know what kind of detention measures were in place outside. What if we escaped only to be torn to shreds by guard dogs? My mind was racing through the possibilities and rejecting each one.

I knew I stood a better chance of escaping from the person who purchased me at the auction, but that wouldn't help Angela. I couldn't leave her behind to suffer. A thought struck me. I reached into the back of my bra and pulled out my SIM card. It looked like it was still in good condition. I could only hope that the taser hadn't fried the circuitry. I handed it to Angela.

"Here, tuck this into your bra. If we get separated Emmett will be able to use this to find you. He'll make sure you get home," I said.

Angela was about to protest when the door opened.

Jasper POV

I was exhausted, but my mind was still running a mile a minute. Emmett had just called to tell me the raid he'd been on near the Siberian boarder had yielded no results. We had triangulated the signal from Bella's SIM card to that exact location. Something just didn't make sense. How had Seymour known Edward was a cop? Why had Bella gone with him?

I had been visiting Edward when the call from Emmett came in. Edward was in a medically induced coma to allow his body the rest it needed to heal. The bullet had passed through his body missing his heart by about an inch. It had blown a small hole into his lung, causing it to collapse. He was still in ICU almost 48 hours later, but he was listed in stable condition.

I made my way to the ICU waiting room to see if Alice or her parents wanted anything from the cafeteria before I left for the station. I wanted to look over the satellite feeds myself. We needed to trace our steps backwards to figure out where we went wrong.

"No thank-you," Alice said, leaning into my touch as I kissed her gently on the cheek. She looked pale and shaken. I offered her my shoulder to lean on.

"I need to head to the station Alice. Emmett just called. He didn't find Bella where she was supposed to be. Something isn't right." I said. I hated leaving her but I couldn't just leave my partner twisting in the wind. Alice knew me well enough to know that I had to have my partner's back. It's just what partners do. She was putting on a brave face, but I could tell she was really worried about me.

"Okay," Alice said. "Just promise me you'll stay safe. I couldn't handle it if something were to happen to you too."

I was getting myself some awful sludge from a vending machine that promised coffee when I caught a glimpse of a familiar face walking down the corridor. It was Mike Newton, but he was dressed in scrubs. He was wearing a surgical mask, but I could still tell it was him. He didn't notice me by the machine as he passed. I decided to follow him to see what was going on. He walked right into Edward's room.

I eased off my shoes to mask the sound of my arrival and made my way over to the door. I wanted to pull out my gun, but I wouldn't be able to use it here with all the oxygen lines in the building. I left it holstered. I peered cautiously around the corner just in time to see Newton pull a syringe from his pocket. He efficiently twisted the needle onto the barrel and filled it with a large air bubble. What the fuck?

I was across the room and tackling the bastard before he could inject the air bubble into Edward's IV line. The needle stuck in my arm as Newton and I fell to the ground, but I ignored it. I focused all of my energy into a punch that landed squarely on Newton's nose. I felt the impact rattle through my hand and up my arm. I had that motherfucker flipped, pinned and cuffed before he knew what hit him. Bella would have been so proud if she had seen me in action today.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

I gazed out the tiny airplane window, preparing myself for what was to come. It had only been five hours since I had tackled Newton in Edward's ICU room, but the hours had crawled as slow as decades.

Newton was quickly whisked away by Internal Affairs when we arrived back at the station. I was invited to watch the interrogation, but I chose instead to focus my efforts on finding Bella myself. I traced her SIM card to a small island in the Angra dos Reis region of Brazil. I was on the phone arranging a rescue operation with Interpol when Officer Cheney from IA found me. He confirmed my suspicions regarding Mike Newton. My next phone call was to Emmett.

"We had a mole Em," I began before Emmett even finished saying hello. "Fucking Mike Newton told Seymour about the operation months before Bella even went in. He gave you the wrong info. Bella's in Brazil."

All I could hear for several moments from the other end of the line was a string of curses profane enough to make an angry, drunken, truck-driving pirate blush.

"I am going to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands!" Emmett vowed.

"Just come home Em. I'm wheels up to Brazil within the hour. I swear to you I will bring her home," I promised.

The flight was interminable. I swear the clock had stopped moving the second I strapped on my seatbelt. All I could think about was my partner. Was she still alive? Was Seymour hurting her? I would kill that son-of-a-bitch if he hurt her. Bella had to be the strongest woman I knew, but even she would probably be terrified right now. The thought of her frightened and alone almost brought tears to my eyes. All I could do was pray she would be strong enough to hold out until I got there.

After an eternity in the air we landed in Rio de Janeiro. I was met by a police escort at the airport. I was briefed on the details of the mission during the two hour drive down the coast to Angra dos Reis. Because of the location of the island we would have to wait until dark to approach to reduce the risk of being seen by potential guards. We would surround the island with the aid of the Brazilian Navy. Several CIA agents in the area had been tapped to help with the raid. I was glad for all the help.

I spend the hours waiting for nightfall in a tiny hotel room in the picturesque town of Angra dos Reis. Under other circumstances I might have appreciated the beauty of my surroundings, but I was too keyed up to take anything in. My focus had tunnelled in on rescuing Bella. I called Alice to let her know that I had arrived safely and that I would call her as soon as I found Bella.

We were a silent crew that met on the docks that night. One of the CIA agents went over the specs of the mission in both English and Portuguese. It didn't take long as our mission was to get in, secure the island and rescue any civilians.

The night breeze felt good on my skin was we made our way across the bay and out into the open water. No one felt the need to talk, which I appreciated. Our silence held us bound together by mutual trust and respect.

Several guards were taken out quickly and quietly along the beaches of the tiny island. We disabled the opposition's boats to cut off their route of escape. My adrenaline had my heart nearly pumping out of my chest as we neared the small compound located directly in the centre of the island. I was faintly aware of the taste of aluminum in the back of my throat. I concentrated on the operation at hand. There were only a few guards in the compound itself, and they were easily taken care of by the group of highly trained officers I was with.

Once the location was deemed safe the hunt for Bella truly began. I had found a large key ring on one of the guards. I used it to begin unlocking the doors down each of the hallways. Each room had two women in it; no bed to sleep on. Just a toilet, a sink and a concrete floor. Some of the women looked slightly malnourished, and they were taken care of by the naval officers.

I was beginning to worry that I'd never find Bella when I reached the last door in the corridor.

BPOV

"Jasper!" I yelled, launching myself into his arms. He held me tightly while I cried onto his shoulder. I was so relieved to see him, but afraid at the same time. I tried several times to ask about Edward before gasping his name through dry heaves.

"He's alive Bells. Critical but stable. The doctors expect him to make a full recovery," Jasper assured me. I nearly fainted with relief. Jasper gave me one of his patented knowing looks and the whole story came pouring out before I could stop myself. I told him how I'd fallen in love with Edward but hadn't told him yet. I told him that I'd had to shoot Edward to save his life and how the image of him lying helpless and bloody would haunt me forever. I told him that Seymour told me that Edward was dead; killed in a fire at the Tank.

"He lied Bella. There was no fire. Look at me sweetheart. We're going to get on a plane and go see him. You'll tell him that you love him and then you'll get married and have lots of really cute babies and maybe you'll get a dog. I don't know. But you have to calm down," Jasper soothed.

I wondered why he was speaking to me as though I was an overtired child. It took me a moment to register that I was in the middle of a full blown panic attack. Now that I knew I was safe my body just let go. I was hyperventilating and shaking. Jasper helped me focus on my breathing until I was calm again.

"What if he doesn't want me Jasper? I shot him," I said in a small voice.

"He's an idiot if he doesn't love you," he comforted me.

I realized that I'd left Angela in the corner when Jasper arrived. I introduced her to Jasper and we made our way outside of the building. I was really glad I hadn't tried escaping before. The only way to get out of here was by boat and there was no other land visible from this island. I could have ended up stranded at sea.

It didn't take very long for the Brazilians to arrange for a larger vessel to rendez-vous with us at the island. All totalled there were 23 women on the island including Angela and myself. In no time at all Jasper, Angela and I were boarding a plane back to Seattle.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

"I can't do this Jazz," I said, nervously clutching his arm. We were standing at the entrance to the hospital and I began to panic again.

"It'll be fine Bella. Alice said he's not mad at you," Jasper said with a smile, probably thinking about seeing his wife again.

"But what about his family? Won't they be pissed?"

"Bella, Alice already loves you like a sister just because you're my partner. She nearly burst my eardrum squealing when I told her you were alive. Carlisle and Esme are wonderful people and they will love you too. I remember being intimidated meeting them for the first time, but they put me at ease right away."

"Did you shoot Alice before you met them?" I retorted.

"Now you're just being ridiculous," Jasper accused. "They aren't mad at you. They completely understand the situation."

"I'm not sure I even understand the situation yet!" I exclaimed, pacing.

Jasper just sighed and told me he was going in to see his wife. He told me I had twenty minutes before he sent Emmett to retrieve me. I just nodded and continued pacing, recalling the events of the day.

Jasper and I had been forced into a formal debriefing as soon as we landed. Six hours spent with government officials was not my idea of a good time, especially since I hadn't showered for three days. I understood the importance of my testimony, so I gritted my teeth against the blitz of questions and answered as best I could. I was relieved to hear that Interpol was going to be setting up a sting operation on the island to capture Seymour and all the sick fucks that were planning to purchase a sex slave.

I was finally allowed to leave and my first stop was at my place for a quick shower before going to see Edward. Alice had called Jasper to let him know that Edward had been taken off the critical list and was now awake and cranky.

I probably would have stood at the entrance to the hospital for hours agonizing about facing Edward if Emmett hadn't arrived and scooped me up into his arms. He threw me over his shoulder and held me down so I couldn't do any permanent damage to him.

"Put me down Emmett Swan!" I yelled.

"Shh, Bells. This is a hospital. People here are trying to rest and get better," Emmett chastised. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Emmett didn't even put me down in the elevator. He stood facing the door so the first thing everyone who got onto the elevator saw was my ass. I was going to fucking kill him if he ever put me down. Emmett ignored my pleas and threats, not putting me down until he dumped me onto a chair next to Edward's bed.

"Good luck man," he said to Edward before leaving to give us privacy.

Edward was still bruised and pale. He had dark circles under the eye that wasn't swollen shut, which I was avoiding making contact with. I stared down at my hands and fought uselessly against the tears before whispering an apology to Edward.

"What was that love?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm apologizing because I shot you. I'm not too clear on what etiquette demands after shooting someone, but I'm pretty sure Emily Post would agree that an apology is warranted," I said, frustrated at his lack of anger.

"I'm not upset that you shot me Bella," he said calmly.

"I can see that!" I yelled. "But you should be. I fucking shot you in the fucking chest. That's the sort of thing that's supposed to piss someone right the fuck off. I deserve your anger Edward."

"You saved my life Bella. If you hadn't shot me, that other guy would have. And he would have shot me in the head. So no, I'm not mad at you. I'm actually pretty grateful for what you did."

I tried taking several deep, calming breaths. There were too many feelings crowding my consciousness for me to be able to process them individually. I was relieved that Edward was okay. I felt so guilty for shooting him. I wanted so desperately to tell him that I loved him. The emotional overload made me unable to control my anger with the whole situation.

"Are you seriously mad at me for not being mad at you?" Edward asked.

"I don't honestly know what to feel anymore," I said, sinking down in my chair. I was suddenly exhausted and confused. The tears just wouldn't stop falling now. I felt the need to escape from the awkward turn of events unfolding.

"I'm going to let you get some rest, okay? I'll be back later," I said, rushing from the room before Edward could protest.

I knew I was in some serious shit when both Alice and Rosalie cornered me by the elevator. Rosalie grabbed me by the ear and pulled me back towards Edward's room.

"Ow, that really fucking hurts Rose! I swear if you weren't pregnant I would bitch slap you for this," I threatened.

Rosalie ignored my protests and shoved me back in Edward's room. She stood in the doorway blocking my escape. I gazed longingly at the window for a moment before cursing the fact that Edward was on the 12th floor.

"You two emotional retards need to sort some things out right now before things get ugly," Rose declared. "Alice and I are going to help you out by role-playing. I will be Bella and Alice will be Edward."

"Bella, I'm madly in love with you and want to spend the rest of my life with you," Alice said, gesturing melodramatically.

"Oh, Edward!" Rose cried, putting her hand over her heart. "I love you too!"

I'm pretty sure Edward looked as shocked as I felt. I couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of our sisters' actions. Edward looked at the joy lighting up my face and his mouth curved up in a smile. He beckoned me to come closer. I approached his bedside without the earlier panic. I could tell by the look in his eyes that what his sister said was true. This man was in love with me.

"I do love you," I said.

"I love you too Bella," he responded, taking my hand. "I know we have some issues to work out, but I want to build a relationship with you. I want to take you out to a movie and maybe go bowling like a normal couple that isn't on an undercover assignment. I want to buy you flowers and learn to cook so I can make you a romantic dinner.

"I want to meet your dad and go fishing with him, even though I've never been fishing before. Charlie can show me all of your baby pictures. Emmett will embarrass you with stories of your awkward teenage years and I will hold your hand through it all.

"I want you to meet my parents. Mom and Dad are going to love you. My mom and Alice may be planning our wedding already. They are so grateful for the sacrifice you made to save me. I know what you did wasn't easy. You are a strong woman Isabella Swan, and I love you."

I was in tears again by the time Edward finished his speech. He tugged on my hand and moved over on the bed. I took it as an invitation to lie down next to him. I gently pulled Edward into my arms and we held each other silently. I knew there was a long road ahead of us. It was going to take time to heal our emotional wounds and sort out our feelings. But I wasn't afraid of the difficult times that were coming. I knew I could face anything with Edward by my side.

Before we drifted off to sleep together I whispered, "Roses are red; frustrated balls are blue. The one thing I'm sure of; is how much I love you."

* * *

**I hope you've enjoyed the insanity. Epilogue should be up by Wednesday.**


	14. Epilogue

**I don't own Twilight. I do however own a set of tatas that can conceal both my iPod and my cellphone. Who needs a purse when you can store 10GB in your bra?**

**

* * *

**EPOV

I twisted my wedding band around my finger out of habit as I gazed down at my sleeping wife. Every time I touched my ring I felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Bella and I had gone through our share of struggles and they had shaped us into the people we are today.

I thought back to our very first case together. After Bella was rescued by Jasper, there had been a sting operation that had ended in a shootout. Seymour had been hit by several bullets and I wasn't sad to think of the pain he had endured before his death. Being shot really does hurt like a motherfucker. It was poetic justice really that one of the bullets had passed through one of his testicles.

Interpol had gained a large victory that day. They were able to capture several large players in the international slavery circuit. Between the men and women they'd captured on the island in Brazil and the subsequent raids more than two hundred women had been freed and returned home.

I knew Bella was happy to have helped, but the whole situation had taken a heavy toll on her. Internal Affairs had conducted a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding my shooting and concluded in the end that it was a clean shot. Bella still blamed herself for almost getting me killed, despite the official report that stated otherwise. We had both spent a fair amount of time in therapy, both as a couple and as individuals. We may never be fully healed from our experiences, but we were well on our way. Bella's nightmares were few and far between these days.

Bella and I had found ourselves immutably altered by that first case. I had found myself unable to commit to another long-term undercover case. Bella had tried going back to busting johns undercover again, but she'd found that her anger issues got in the way. She was politely but firmly asked to change departments when the fourth perp complained about police brutality after having his ass kicked by Bella.

We discussed our options at length before deciding to start our own private investigation agency. Over the past five years Cullen and Cullen Investigations (we didn't want to use Masen for privacy issues) had built a solid reputation as one of the best agencies in the Seattle area. We mostly handled fraud investigations and domestic infidelity cases, but we would occasionally do some legwork for Emmett's cases. We had hired Angela on as our office administrator. Angela had surprised us all by taking night school courses and getting her PI certification. She specialized in helping parents find runaway teens.

Rosalie and Emmett were doing spectacularly. They had already added a set of adorable twin girls to their family in addition to the little guy Rose had still been pregnant with when Bella and I had gotten married. I had been right; my mom and Alice did already have our wedding planned out by the time we had announced our engagement. I was still in the hospital following the shooting when I had proposed.

I smiled as I recalled the day I'd met Charlie for the first time, which was also the day I had asked for his blessing to marry his daughter.

"You're not pregnant are you?" he had asked Bella.

"No dad!" she'd protested quickly.

"Well," Charlie had said, eyeing the sling I'd been wearing to help my shoulder heal after being shot, "I guess I don't have to threaten to kill you if you hurt my little girl. She can take of herself well enough."

My parents had welcomed Bella into the family with open arms. Esme and Alice had been quick to include Bella in their Sunday morning brunch/shop-a-thon tradition. Bella had taught them self-defence in return. Watching my mother flip my father over her shoulder and pin him to the ground had been both awe-inspiring and disturbing. They had excused themselves quickly after that; running out to their car, giggling like teenagers.

I was broken out of my contemplations when Alice gently knocked on the door, peering around the corner cautiously.

"Shh! They're both asleep," I whispered.

"How is Bella feeling?" Alice asked.

"Tired and sore," I replied. "But she was a champ today."

Alice quickly made her way over to the bassinette at the foot of Bella's hospital bed. She squealed almost silently and clapped her hands quietly.

"She's so cute! Looks like she takes after Bella," Alice joked.

"Very funny Auntie Alice. Just for that you get to change the next poopy diaper. You'll need the practice," I said gesturing to her slight baby bump. "Did you know that newborn shit looks like tar? It's vile stuff. I gagged a little when I had to change her." I shuddered at the memory.

"You've already had to change a diaper? She's only three hours old," Alice pointed out.

"My little girl won't need any bran," I said, oddly proud of her early first poop. If she was so far advanced already there was no telling just how smart my baby would be.

Alice gently picked my newborn daughter up and cradled her close, cooing quietly to her. I noticed that Jasper had arrived and was looking at his wife holding a baby with a look of total contentment on his features. He and Alice would make wonderful parents.

"What's her name?" Jasper asked, stroking a finger down her soft, chubby cheek.

"Parker Rose Masen," I said proudly.

Our family was puzzled when they read Parker's birth announcement in the local paper. Bella and I just smiled at one another and refused to explain. We placed a copy in Parker's baby book:

_'Roses are red;_

_In our joy we must hasten;_

_To announce the birth of our girl:_

_Beautiful Parker Rose Masen.'_

_

* * *

_**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, PM'd, story alerted and favourited this piece of crazy. I gigantic puffy heart you all and wish you love and unicorns.**

**I have had a couple of inquiries in regards to doing a sequel. I have no current plans, but I am not opposed if the right idea comes by. I have a couple of other ideas floating through my head that will probably get written first.  
**


End file.
